At its Jan. 15 reorganizational meeting, the School Board of the City of Portsmouth re-elected Dr. Cardell Patillo, Jr., as its chairman and elected Dr. Melvin Cotton, Jr., as vice-chairman.
Patillo was first elected to the School Board in November of 2014. He has served as School Board Chairman since 2021. Patillo serves as the senior pastor at New Mount Olivet Baptist Church in Portsmouth as well as the executive director for Mile High Kids and Community Development, Inc. He completed his undergraduate degree in multi-disciplinary studies at Liberty University, a master’s degree in pastoral counseling at Liberty University and a master’s degree in divinity at Virginia Union University. He then earned his doctorate in health administration from Virginia University of Lynchburg. Patillo continues to support public education at the state level, currently serving as the chair of both the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) Task Force on School Infrastructure and the VSBA Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.
Cotton serves as the pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Portsmouth. Cotton is a graduate of I.C. Norcom High School, and he went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in religion from Liberty University, as well as a master’s degree in divinity, a master’s degree in Christian education and a doctorate in ministry from Virginia Union University. In addition to his work on the Board, Cotton is currently the vice-chair for the Tidewater Region of the VSBA. He also has served as the second vice-president of the Martin Luther King Leadership steering committee as well as a volunteer chaplain at Sentara Obici Hospital. He is a life member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
The next meeting of the School Board will be Thursday, Feb. 19. At the meeting, Portsmouth Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Elie Bracy, III, will provide board members and the public with his Superintendent’s Estimate of Needs. This presentation will outline the administration’s budgetary priorities for the 2026-27 school year.
To view the Feb. 19 meeting, or to learn more about the School Board, visit ppsk12.us.