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Krista Stewart Heavner
Office history
Krista Stewart Heavner is the viceâchair of the Lincoln County Board of Education and will again serve in that leadership role for the 2026â2027 term. At the boardâs annual reorganization on Dec.âŻ9, 2025 she was unanimously reâelected viceâchair, while Christina Sutton was reâelected chairă10ă. The board governs Lincoln Countyâs public schools, adopting curricula, setting the school calendar, approving budgets and hiring the superintendent, as reflected in recent board actions on highâschool course proposals, the 2026â27 calendar, and other policy itemsă10ă.
Heavner is a native of Drexel, North Carolina, and works as a speechâlanguage pathologist and auditoryâverbal therapist. Her professional focus on communication and advocacy is echoed in her board service, where she is described as leading with "joy, encouragement, and a genuine heart for students, families, and staff"ă9ă. She once considered a career in law, but chose a path of direct support for individuals and families.
Before her current board tenure, Heavner ran as the Republican candidate for Lincoln County Schools DistrictâŻ5 in the 2022 general election. She appeared on the ballot on Nov.âŻ8,âŻ2022 after competing in a threeâcandidate Republican primary on MayâŻ17,âŻ2022ă1ă. Although she did not complete Ballotpediaâs Candidate Connection survey, the election record confirms her prior candidacy and party affiliation.
In addition to her professional work, Heavner teaches fitness classes at the YMCA, enjoys running, reading, hiking, traveling, and playing games with her family. She is a beagle owner (Max and Felicity) and a fan of 1990s hipâhop, DietâŻCoke, and ChickâfilâA waffle friesă9ă. Her community involvement extends to board initiatives such as adding a computerâscience graduation requirement and creating a studentârepresentative program for board work sessions, as noted in the boardâs 2026 agendaă10ă.
Heavnerâs leadership on the board includes coâchairing duties (as highlighted in a Lincoln County Schools Facebook post) and serving as viceâchair, positions that involve guiding policy discussions, reviewing curriculum proposals, and collaborating with the superintendent and other board members to shape the districtâs educational directionă9ăă10ă.
Sources
Public filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record â search by last name on each.
North Carolina â campaign finance
- State, county, and municipal candidates â all in one system â NC State Board of Elections â Committee Search. Search by last name “Heavner”.
North Carolina â statement of economic interest
- Required for state-elected and many local officials â NC State Ethics Commission â Statement of Economic Interest Search. Search by last name “Heavner”.