The Jefferson County Board of Education looked to their Birmingham City Schools counterparts to fill a new deputy superintendent’s position.

Dr. Rebecca Lee, currently the chief of staff for the Birmingham system, will be the new deputy superintendent of school and community support for JefCoEd. She was recommended by Supt. Dr. Craig Pouncey, with whom she worked when he was at the Alabama State Board of Education.

The county board unanimously approved Lee’s appointment.

In the new position, Lee will serve as a go-between for school principals and the central office. She will oversee roughly half of the system’s schools; fellow deputy Dr. Anna Vacca, the former Gardendale High principal, will oversee the other half.

Lee was selected over a wide range of applicants, Pouncey said, including some from the central office and several current principals. Some applicants were from north Jefferson County. A list of applicants has yet to be released.

The fact that Pouncey looked outside the system was cause for some concern from two board members.

“I would like for us to be trying to maintain a balance throughout the system,” Jacqueline Smith said. “In this one [position] in particular, I have concerns about diversity… However, I do support his decision at this time.”

Martha Bouyer added, “I’m also concerned that we should continue to promote in-house leaders. We should make sure we continue to look in-house.”

Besides her time with the state board, Lee also served as a chief financial officer with the Kansas City, Mo., city schools, and also served with Michigan’s Educational Achievement Authority.

In committee meetings held after the main board meeting, Vacca announced the schedule for the creation of the system’s new strategic plan, which will be headed by Burke Enterprises.

During the research and preparation of the plan, several meetings will be held to solicit input from city officials, school personnel and parents throughout the district.

One such meeting is for mayors and city council members, which will be held Sept. 15 at Fultondale High School. Others will be open to the public and divided into several zones; a meeting for the north Jefferson area will be held Oct. 27 at Gardendale High.

In other committee action, a change in the school calendar was recommended for the next full board meeting. The revision will change Oct. 10 from a half-day schedule to a regular full school day.