{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Zack Cusick","chatgptsummary":"Zack Cusick's tenure as Loudon County Board of Education member and current role as Parks and Recreation Director demonstrate experience in public policy judgment, budget oversight, and constituent relations. He has completed state-required professional development, including a Level IV Boardsmanship award. Bio does not indicate experience in hiring or evaluating a school superintendent or managing capital budgets for educational facilities.","notes":null,"party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nZack Cusick is the incumbent Loudon County Board of Education member for District 6 and is seeking re-election in the August 6, 2026 county general election, where he faces Democrat Voan Stone [3].\n\n## Background and education\nCusick played football at Carson-Newman University, seeing limited action at quarterback as a redshirt freshman in 2008 [2].\n\n## Career\nCusick is the City of Lenoir City's Parks and Recreation Director. He was elevated to lead the department by the city council after longtime director Steve Harrelson's departure in December 2018, and in that role has overseen park development and turf-improvement projects [1].\n\n## Office history\nCusick represents District 6 on the Loudon County Board of Education and has completed board professional-development recognition, including a Level IV Boardsmanship award [3][4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Cusick tabbed as parks and recreation director - News-Herald](https://www.news-herald.net/news/cusick-tabbed-as-parks-and-recreation-director/article_d1b23c95-4dcd-57db-9357-b4baab18fc70.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Zack Cusick - Carson-Newman Eagles athletics](https://www.cneagles.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/cusick_zack00.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[3] [Crowded field continues to grow ahead of primary - News-Herald](https://www.news-herald.net/news/crowded-field-continues-to-grow-ahead-of-primary/article_d677c3f8-bf34-4948-84a0-c97d8286d3f2.html) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[4] [Loudon County Schools live feed](https://www.loudoncounty.org/live-feed) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"Zack","lastname":"Cusick","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"Lty4rkK1cd"},"token":"zack_cusick"},{"candidatename":"Voan Stone","chatgptsummary":"Voan Stone's biography shows relevant experience as a retired educator with teaching roles in multiple states and leadership in community organizations like Girl Scouts and local boards. Her background includes raising six children and serving as an election chief judge, which may support constituent relations. Bio does not indicate experience in school district budget management or formal policy judgment for public education systems.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nVoan Ivy Stone is a Democratic candidate for the Loudon County Board of Education, District 6, in the August 6, 2026 county general election, challenging incumbent Zack Cusick [1][2]. She says she moved back to Tennessee in 2023 and wants to be involved in her community, offering her experience as a retired educator to benefit Loudon County's children [1].\n\n## Background and education\nStone was born in Oahu, Hawaii, the daughter of a U.S. Air Force general, and grew up in places including Saudi Arabia, Okinawa, and Germany [1]. She earned an undergraduate degree from Butler University in Indiana and a master's degree from the University of Tennessee [1].\n\n## Career\nStone is a retired educator who taught at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville College, Anson Community College in South Carolina, and in the Union County (North Carolina) and Chesterfield County (South Carolina) school districts [1]. Her community involvement has included leadership in 4-H and Girl Scouts, work as a private music instructor, establishing the Union Symphony Orchestra and the Uwharrie National Forest horse trail system, serving as an election chief judge in Union County, North Carolina, and serving on that county's parks and recreation board and with the American Legion [1].\n\n## Family\nStone raised six children, three of them adopted, and has eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Candidates - Loudon County Democratic Party](https://www.loudoncountydems.org/loudon-candidates) - accessed 2026-07-23\n[2] [Crowded field continues to grow ahead of primary - News-Herald](https://www.news-herald.net/news/crowded-field-continues-to-grow-ahead-of-primary/article_d677c3f8-bf34-4948-84a0-c97d8286d3f2.html) - accessed 2026-07-23","firstname":"Voan","lastname":"Stone","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"p0rEZK5zEy"},"token":"voan_stone"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"school_board","o.office":null,"office":"county_school_board_district_6","officedescription":"A school board member serves on the elected body that governs a public school district. The board sets district policy and budget priorities and hires and evaluates the superintendent, while leaving day-to-day management to the administration.","officequalities":"- Policy judgment for a public school district \u2014 setting direction while leaving day-to-day management to the superintendent.\n- Budget literacy for operating and capital budgets, in coordination with the county commission (which appropriates) and the state.\n- Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent \u2014 the board's highest-stakes recurring decision.\n- Constituent relations with parents, teachers, principals, and community members.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"School Board Member","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-19","title":"loudon County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://tnsos.org/elections/ballots/734.pdf"},"title":"County School Board District 6"}