MC alumna Randi Earley Howard ’04 takes ‘doing good’ to the next level with appointment to local county school board
June 5, 2025
Given her deep local roots and her lifelong desire to heed Maryville College founder the Rev. Isaac Anderson’s charge to “do good on the largest possible scale,” it’s little wonder that Randi Earley Howard ’04 was recently appointed to a seat on the Blount County Schools Board of Education.
The position, normally filled through local elections, opened up after Fred Goins, who was first elected in 2014 and was the longest-serving member, tendered his resignation in February. Replacements were nominated by members of the Blount County Commission at a special called meeting on March 20, and Commissioner Quentin Caldwell nominated Howard.
I have always been focused on the well-being of the children in my community,” Howard said. “I believed that my knowledge and experience would allow me to provide meaningful insights as a school board member. Leading up to the commission meeting, several commissioners reached out to me for informal interviews to aid in their decision-making process.
“The meeting itself was somewhat nerve-wracking, as I didn’t know what questions would be posed or by whom. Fortunately, I wasn’t put on the spot that night; there was simply a discussion among the commissioners.”
At the end of discussion, Howard was chosen by a 12-7 vote over Matt Brown to fill the remaining 17 months of Goins’ term. Commissioner John Giles encouraged both Howard and Brown to run for the seat during next year’s local elections, but in the meantime, Howard — who was sworn in on April 3 — plans to put her background as an advocate and defender of children to work on the Board of Education.
A Blount County native, Howard grew up in the shadow of Maryville College, in love with its campus and in awe of many of its alumni. After enrolling, she decided on a Psychology major after taking Psychology 101 with Professor Emerita Dr. Lori Schmied.
“She was an incredible professor. Her teaching captivated me, and the subject matter sparked my curiosity about psychology and the workings of the brain,” she said.
Her enrollment dovetailed with the start of Dr. Crystal Colter’s career, and today, the professor of psychology and chair of the Division of Behavioral Sciences still recalls those halcyon years in which Howard’s studies and her own career as an educator took off at the same time.
“Randi Earley Howard and I both started at MC in the fall of 2000, so in a sense, I was learning all about this magical place and falling in love with its mission and history at the same time that Randi and her classmates were becoming a part of the MC community,” Colter said. “I speak often about Randi as an example of the transformative educational experience at Maryville College.
“She grew and changed across her four years at MC, challenged herself (and challenged her professors, too!), and just continued to keep that lifelong learning perspective. Like all of us, she has continued to grow and mature as a professional and as a human being out there doing good on the largest possible scale. I also have fond memories of Randi’s parents joining her at some department social events, where Randi even occasionally shared her talent at clogging!”
After graduation, Howard served as a teaching assistant at William Blount High School until September 2006, and that introduction to the school system she now helps oversee was another learning experience, she added. After earning a master’s in counseling and guidance from Lincoln Memorial University in 2009, she joined the staff at the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services in 2013 and has been there ever since.
“Most of my career has been dedicated to being a child abuse investigator, a role I am deeply passionate about,” she said. “My primary goal has always been to prioritize the best interests of the children and families I have the privilege to serve and collaborate with. At times, the job was challenging, as the children and families I worked with had endured significant trauma.
“The role often necessitated making tough decisions, some of which families may not have favored, but were essential for their well-being. I now have the honor of training DCS staff in the fundamentals of investigation and guiding them through the most challenging tasks they will face in this field.”
The ability to make those tough decisions will undoubtedly serve her well as a member of the local school board. In recent years, the board has come under fire for the nature of certain books in public school libraries, among other things, and Commissioner Steve Mikels noted those situations at the March 20 meeting, noting that the newly appointed board member would be coming “into what seemingly is a semi-hostile environment.
“There’s a lot of emotion involved, and I think that either one of these people are capable of bringing a voice that can help work towards a solution,” he said.
“I have always been quite determined and recognized that my background with DCS — where I’ve had to make tough decisions and navigate challenging environments — had adequately prepared me for what I might face in this role,” Howard added.
The potential to carry forth Anderson’s call isn’t a responsibility she takes lightly — nor does she intend her time on the board to be brief. Her passion for both the community that’s been home her entire life and the education of its children have already helped her make the decision to campaign and run for the seat in 2026, she said, and whether it’s canvassing for votes or making life-changing decisions for thousands of local students, she feels well-prepared to do both … thanks in large part to her background at Maryville College.
“My time at Maryville College contributed significantly to my personal development, as I was able to engage in a diverse range of experiences that helped shape my identity,” she said. “The education I received exposed me to various fields of study and provided valuable insights into life overall. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend and graduate from Maryville College, and I want everyone to recognize what a treasure Maryville College truly is.
“Our community is incredibly fortunate to have such an outstanding educational institution that graduates remarkably knowledgeable individuals. I’ve always maintained that if Maryville College were to establish a doctoral program, I would absolutely return.”