Gary VanDeaver

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Gary Wayne VanDeaver
Texas State Representative for District 1 (Bowie, Franklin, Lamar, and Red River counties)
Assumed office
January 13, 2015
Preceded by George Lavender
Personal details
Born (1958-09-25) September 25, 1958 (age 65)
Grimes County, Texas

Reared in Clarksville

Red River County, Texas
Nationality American
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Pamela Sue Nevill VanDeaver (married 1983)
Children Kacey Briann Vandeaver
Katelyn Paige VanDeaver
Residence New Boston, Bowie County
Texas, USA
Alma mater Clarksville High School
Texas A&M University–Commerce
Occupation Educator
Religion Southern Baptist

Gary Wayne VanDeaver (born September 25, 1958)[1] is a retired educator with the New Boston Independent School District in New Boston in Bowie County, Texas, who is a first term Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives.

Background

Though born in Grimes County, Texas,[1] VanDeaver was reared on a cattle operation near Clarksville in Red River County in northeast Texas and graduated in 1977 from Clarksville High School. He holds a doctorate obtained in 1996 in professional education from Texas A&M University–Commerce, formerly East Texas State University. In December 2014, he retired as superintendent of the New Boston district. Having begun as a vocational agriculture teacher, VanDeaver has worked for thirty-three years in the education profession.[2][3]

He is a member of the Red River County Fair Association and the Bogata Rodeo Association, also in Red River County, and he sits on the board of the Texas Future Farmers of America. He is a past president of the New Boston Lions International and his local Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the National Rifle Association and a deacon and Sunday school teacher at the First Baptist Church of New Boston. VanDeaver has been married since 1983 to the former Pamela Sue Nevill (born 1963), who is also an educator. The couple has two grown daughters, Kacey and Katelyn VanDeaver.[2][3]

Political life

In the primary election held on March 4, 2014, VanDeaver, in his last year as school superintendent, unseated the two-term District 1 Republican incumbent, George Lavender, a businessman from Texarkana in far northeastern Texas. VanDeaver received 9,400 votes (54.3 percent) to Lavender's 7,898 (45.7 percent).[4]VanDeaver had no Democratic opposition in the general election held on November 4, 2014. Both Lavender and VanDeaver call themselves "conservative Republicans."

VanDeaver defeated George Lavender in a rematch in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016.[5] VanDeaver received 18,263 votes (61.9 percent) to Lavender's 11,242 (38.1 percent).[6]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by Texas State Representative from District 1 (Bowie, Franklin, Lamar, and Red River counties)

Gary Wayne VanDeaver
2015–

Succeeded by
Incumbent