Nick Darnell
Governor Bill Haslam has appointed Nicholas Darnell, an eighth-grade American history and government teacher in Hamblen County, to the Tennessee State Board of Education. As a representative for Tennessee’s first Congressional District, Mr. Darnell officially joined the board in May and will serve on the State Board of Education through 2023.
A teacher of twelve years, Mr. Darnell was chosen as the East Ridge Middle, Hamblen County, and the First TN Core Region middle school teacher of the year in 2015. In the same year, he was selected by Gov. Haslam to serve on the first Governor’s Teacher Cabinet, and has advised the governor and Education Commissioner for the past three years. Mr. Darnell also serves as a learning leader for Hamblen County by providing facilitation for Professional Learning Communities, leading professional development, and mentoring fellow teachers.