September 12, 2017 - The Panola College Board of Trustees, meeting on September 6, appointed Mrs. Fatha Burchette to fill the unexpired term of the late Mrs. Glendell Chadwick.
“Mrs. Burchette will be a great addition to the Board of Trustees at Panola College,” said William Goolsby, Board President. “Because of her vast experience as an educator and administrator, she will be very beneficial to this institution.”
Mrs. Burchette graduated from Turner High School in 1970 as a member of the last graduating class before mandatory integration of public schools in Panola County. That same year, she began her college career at Panola Junior College, earning an Associate Degree in 1972. After graduating, she and the late Roy Burchette were married, and relocated to Iowa. She attended Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri, graduating in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Science.
In 1978 she returned to Carthage and began her career with the Carthage Independent School District, first as a substitute teacher and para-professional. In 1979, she received her Texas Teacher Certification in Secondary Social Studies and History from Stephen F. Austin State University. She started her full-time teaching career as a social studies teacher at the Baker-Koonce campus, where she remained for 17 years.
In 1989, Mrs. Burchette returned to the SFASU campus and obtained a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education and History, and in 1994, she earned Mid-Management Certification from SFASU. She was promoted to assistant principal at Baker-Koonce, a position she held for seven years. In 2003, she was promoted to principal, a position she held until her retirement in 2010.
Throughout her career, Mrs. Burchette has participated in several community and state organizations, including serving as a member of the Scholarship Committee on behalf of the Turner High School Class of 1970, the Board of the Boys and Girls Club, a member of Kiwanis, a member of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association, Retired Teachers Association, American Association of Retired Persons, and as a member of the local Emergency Management Agency Team.
The Panola County native is the daughter of the late John D. and Lura Roberts. She is a member of the Walnut Grove Baptist Church. She has one daughter, Kiesha, and one grandson, Kason.
“I believe life is a cycle, and now it is time for me to return to Panola College and offer my assistance in a different role,” Mrs. Burchette said. “I have been blessed by God, and I want to share those blessings with others. It’s an honor to have been named to the College Board of Trustees. Indeed, obtaining such a position requires an enormous amount of duties and responsibilities. I truly appreciate Dr. Powell and the Panola College Board of Trustees for the confidence they have placed in me. I am more than willing to support the mission, goals, and vision of Panola College.”
