Carmela Fletcher-Green, Montgomery County Schools
Kentucky School Advocate
April 2023
Staff report
Q. You have served on the Montgomery County School Board for five years. What has been most rewarding about your service?
A. The decisions I have made regarding the budget and allocation of funds to benefit students and faculty and staff, but the students, they are my No. 1 priority. Also, as a physician’s assistant, I was instrumental in some decisions made during Covid and in explaining best practices. I collaborated with the health department, school nursing staff and the superintendent.
Q. Your uncle Chuck Fletcher has served on the Franklin County School Board for seven years. Has he provided guidance in your board service?
A. Absolutely. He was the one who encouraged me to run. My whole life after high school has been about working with kids and mentoring kids. He talked to me about the importance of being a good team member on the school board, and has given me guidance about the decisions we made in using ESSER and CARES Act funds. I’ve bounced ideas off him. During Covid, we bought school supplies for all our schools to take the burden off parents. Franklin County was working on the same idea at the same time. And his long-term experience as a teacher then on staff for the state Department of Education has been very helpful.
Q. Another way you served children in your community was as a physician’s assistant in a primary care practice in Mount Sterling for 26 years. Tell us about your work with young patients.
A. I would see young people for their annual physicals and well child checks, and I would take every opportunity to talk to them about their future goals, how they were doing in school and whether they were involved in extracurricular activities. I’d talk about using social media safely, help lines, nutrition. I would always ask if they had a “champion” in their school – that go-to person that you can turn to even if the day is going good, but especially if they were struggling. Parents would be so pleased and they’d tell me, “This is the best physical they’ve ever had.”
Q. You’ve recently taken a new position in Lexington?
A. Yes, in June I joined Bluegrass Community Health. I’m growing a clinic in downtown Lexington for the underserved and homeless populations. It is my dream job. I have been a medical missionary to Haiti and this job is part of my mission to be a global citizen.
Q. You mentor students who want to pursue healthcare careers, and you also take groups on spring break trips to Washington. Talk a little about these programs and why they are important to you.
A. Through the Montgomery County Black and Hispanic Achievers program, I introduce sixth through 12th graders to careers in healthcare fields. Prior to that, I worked with Montgomery County 4-H This Land is Our Land Youth Leadership program for eight years on leadership and healthcare programs. We also study government on the local and state levels. During spring break, I take 30 to 60 kids to Washington to introduce them to our national government. They do research on places we will visit and do presentations to the group so they also learn and do public speaking.
It makes what they study in school come to life when they are at the Capitol or stand at the gates of the White House. It is important to expose students to the world outside our small community and let them know about the opportunities available.
Q. You also work with Kiwanis’ programs for kids. Why are all these volunteer efforts so important to you?
A. I grew up as an underserved child and people helped me to have experiences.
Profession: Physician’s assistant leading a health clinic for underserved and homeless in Lexington; previously PA in primary care practice
Hometown: Mount Sterling
Family: Daughters Mackenzie Green, 23, and Jamila Green, 21.
Favorite subject: Social studies/history
Hobbies: Volunteering and mentoring youth
Book recommendation: “How Successful People Think” by John C. Maxwell. I feel that all successful people have some commonalities in the way they think that leads to success. I go back to this book as a reference during hard times.
Interesting fact: Our family has hosted several exchange students from Brazil and Germany. We keep in touch and some of the students come back and visit. The parents also keep in touch with us. We also hosted teachers from China with our Chinese immersion program in Montgomery County Schools.