Davison Index

Four candidates vie for two seats on Board of Education, Nov. 6




Megan Avery

Megan Avery

DAVISON — Voters will decide between four candidates, running for two open 6-years terms on the Davison Board of Education, when they go to the polls, Nov. 6.

Incumbents Karen Conover and Todd Ferguson will face-off against challengers Matthew Smith, Jr. and Megan Avery.

A fifth candidate, Brooke Rutledge, will appear on the ballot, but she is no longer seeking the position and has asked the public to cast its votes for the other candidates.

Conover, current Secretary of the Davison Board of Education has served on the Board of Education for 30-years, serving two different terms as its first woman president.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in secondary education from U of M Flint, and a Master’s degree in secondary school counseling and psychology from U of M Ann Arbor. She was a high school English teacher and college adjunct professor for 20 years.

Conover has served on the Genesee County Association of School Board Members for several years and is its current vice- president. She also serves on the GCASBM scholarship and community events committees.

Karen Conover

Karen Conover

Conover and her husband, Judge John Conover (ret) have two children who are DHS graduates. Daughter Bree is an attorney and son Chad is a police detective. They also have six grandchildren, three of them currently in Davison Schools.

Ferguson, current Treasurer of the board, was appointed to the school board in November 2017 after the retirement of longtime board treasurer Kim Lindsay.

He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Michigan State University (1998) and is a Graduate of Davison High School (1994). He is a partner in the local Investment Advisory Firm, Integrity Investment Group.

Ferguson’s wife Andrea, a 1995 graduate of Davison, is a math teacher at Davison High School. The couple has two children – daughter Blake, 2 ½, and son Nik, who is one year old.

Smith, 21, graduated with the Davison High School Class of 2015, is a full-time college student at the University of Michigan-Flint, studying Political Science (Pre-Law) for his bachelors, has an Associate’s Degree from Mott Community College.

Todd Ferguson

Todd Ferguson

While working for his family flooring business, Smith, also, serves on the Genesee County Neighborhood Watch as (Board President), The Flint Area Right To Life as (Board Secretary) and the Genesee County Executive Committee as (Board Trustee).

Smith went from being a reporter and anchor on the Davison High School television broadcast, DTV, to working as a reporter on WNEM TV 5 as the youngest on air reporter just three months after graduation.

In 2016, Smith launched a write-in campaign at last minute as a test to see what support is out there for a school board bid. He received 2,054 write-in votes just off social media promotion, this time he will be on the ballot.

Avery, 32, has lived most of her life in Davison, from daycare to college, landing her first job after graduating Davison High School at Hank Graff Chevrolet. She is currently the manager of the two Davison branches of ELGA Credit Union.

Matthew Smith Jr.

Matthew Smith Jr.

She said she graduated from Northwood University with a bachelor’s degree in administration. Additionally, she said she graduated Davison High School in 2004.

Besides working at ELGA Credit Union, Avery said she is also part of Davison Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the board of directors.

Avery said she and her husband, Luke Avery, have a daughter, Ella, 5, who attends Thomson Elementary.