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ALBANY, GA. -- Monday evening’s Dougherty County School Board meeting will be the last for members Emily Jean MacAfee and Michael Windom.

Dougherty County School Board Member Michael Windom has served for the past 16 years and his final term ends at the end of this month.  He says one of his proudest moments was when he first started. “I actually came on right after the flood of 1994.  So I was an intricate part of rebuilding our system and replacing the schools that were flooded, and that was kind of exciting” says Windom.

Windom was an intricate part of improving public education in East Albany by converting Dougherty Middle School, Albany High School, and International Baccalaureate Elementary School into charter schools and developing IB into a magnet school.  Windom says he was always interested in creating a magnet school.

Michael Windom has had the opportunity to work with four different superintendents during his time on the school board, and he says he's confident Dr. Joshua Murfree will be able to take the school system to the next level.  “He's come in and taken full control and has proposed some very innovative things that I think will actually help us as we go forward” says Windom.

Looking into the future Windom says he hopes to see Dougherty County have more graduates and less drop outs.  He says he's happy with his long tenure on the board.  When asked what grade he would give himself as a school board member he says he would earn a B+.  “I would give myself a B+ because I felt like I've done well, but I could always do better” says Windom.

As he hands over the reins, Windom says he has one final message for the residents of Dougherty County.  “I would just encourage the community to continue to support public education because it’s such a vital part of our community and it touches the lives of everyone in our community” says Windom.