BPS school board names three finalists for general counsel
Nov. 18, 2019
VIERA, Florida – The Brevard County School Board has named three finalists to serve as its next attorney. Board members will vote for their top choice at a meeting Thursday Nov. 21 following a day of one-on-one interviews. The finalists:
C. Wesley Bridges has served as general counsel for the School Board of Polk County, Florida since 1998. In that role, Bridges provides full-time legal services to the school board, superintendent and district staff in matters related to education law, labor law, contracts and court proceedings. Bridges earned his law degree at the Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, in Birmingham, Alabama.
Paul Gibbs has served as school board attorney in Marion County, Florida, since 2017. Before that, he worked as an assistant county attorney in Seminole County. In Marion County, Gibbs advises the school board, prepares legal research and opinions, and provides counsel in areas of expertise including purchasing and procurement, human relations and compliance with federal law. Gibbs earned his law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville.
Heather J. Wallace has served as assistant school board attorney for the Pinellas County School Board since 2013. There, she has reviewed contracts, advised the district threat-assessment team, represented the district in exceptional-education-related proceedings, and represented the district in real estate and construction-related transactions. Wallace earned her law degree from the University of Richmond, Virginia.
The advertised salary range for the BPS general counsel is $145,000-$160,000. Like the superintendent, the board attorney answers directly to the school board.