2026 SPECIAL SESSION I

ENROLLED

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 2039

Commending G. Wesley Poole.

Agreed to by the Senate, June 22, 2026

WHEREAS, G. Wesley Poole has touched countless young lives over the course of his distinguished 33-year career in education, which culminated in his term as superintendent of Wythe County Public Schools; and

WHEREAS, Wesley Poole began his career in education in 1993 as a paraprofessional and summer school teacher for Wythe County Public Schools, while also serving as a social skills trainer for Mount Rogers Mental Health; and

WHEREAS, in 1994, Wesley Poole became a teacher at Rural Retreat Elementary School, where he taught a variety of courses and held other important leadership positions on school committees and programs; and

WHEREAS, Wesley Poole transitioned to school administration in 2002, becoming the inaugural principal of Rural Retreat Middle School; he helped the new school achieve accreditation and worked closely with faculty, staff, and community members to ensure that the implementation of the middle school concept in Wythe County was a success; and

WHEREAS, between 2006 and 2021, Wesley Poole gained further leadership experience and supported the teachers, administrators, students, and families of Wythe County Public Schools as supervisor of federal programs and middle school education, director of facilities and operations, executive director of finance and operations, and assistant superintendent of finance and operations; and

WHEREAS, Wesley Poole was selected as superintendent of Wythe County Public Schools in 2021 and worked diligently to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment at every school in the school division; and

WHEREAS, Wesley Poole ensured that the teachers and administrators in the school divisions had the tools, training, and professional development opportunities they needed to ensure that students could achieve their fullest potential in and out of the classroom; and

WHEREAS, Wesley Poole planned and implemented innovative new programs, including the Healthcare Excellence Academy Lab School and the Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Education Excellence Programs; he proudly oversaw the opening of the first newly constructed school in Wythe County in 20 years, Scott Memorial Middle School; and

WHEREAS, Wesley Poole earned many awards and accolades for his professional achievements, including the 2022 Partner of the Year Youth Education Award from United Way of Southwest Virginia; and

WHEREAS, as superintendent, Wesley Poole reaffirmed Wythe County Public Schools' commitment to high academic achievement and community leadership, and he left the school division well-poised to meet the challenges of the future; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That G. Wesley Poole hereby be commended on the occasion of his retirement as superintendent of Wythe County Public Schools; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to G. Wesley Poole as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's admiration for his exceptional contributions to public education and service to young people in Wythe County.