Lt. Daniel Wallace of the Kannapolis Police Department became the newest member of the Kannapolis Board of Education Monday night.

He was appointed to take the place of Millie Hall, who resigned due to health complications after 37 years of service to the school system.

Board Chair Todd Adams said they picked Wallace because of “his enthusiasm” and “his love for kids.”

Adams added that Wallace’s police and military background, as well as his role as a parent in the school system, added to his confidence that Wallace was the right man for the job.

Wallace is a veteran, who served six years in the U.S. Army. After he left the military, he joined Kannapolis’ police department, where he’s served for 15 years. He spent part of that time as a resource officer at Kannapolis Middle School and teaching DARE classes in all Kannapolis elementary schools.

He also served as a head football coach at Kannapolis Middle School, as well as a volunteer track and field coach at A.L. Brown High School.

Wallace said he owes “a debt of gratitude to public education.”

“Public school saved my life,” he shared, adding that as a child of poverty, his public school teachers made sure he was taken care of.

Wallace said he offers “an outside perspective” to a board with so many veteran members. For year’s he’s been actively “in the district but not of the district.”

“I just love the kids,” he said, adding that he wants “to see them succeed.”

Wallace said his top priority is to create an environment in the community where education is fostered.

“I’m ready to go to work,” he added. “I’m ready to start learning the responsibilities.”

Wallace was one of three applicants interviewed by the current school board. The three were selected from eight individuals who applied for the position.

Adams said all eight applicants would have made excellent school board members and were tied to the school system in one way or another.

The applicants included Wallace, Judy Goodnight, Natasha Lipscomb, Kevin Clark, Kristina Cook, Martha Macon, Anita Parker and Robin Katherine Price.

Wallace, Goodnight and Lipscomb were selected by board members to interview.

“I don’t think we could make a bad decision,” said board member Danita Rickard. “We could have a dart board and I’d be happy.”

Goodnight recently retired from the school system, where she worked as a classroom teacher, Title I coordinator and human resources assistant.

Lipscomb is the director of student life and a campus site director at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. Before taking the position with the college, she was a career development and special populations counselor with Kannapolis City Schools.

Wallace will fill the remainder of Hall’s term, which expires in June 2018.