EAST SPENCER — Benita Tulloch says she’s running for a seat on the town’s Board of Aldermen “to be actively engaged in the decision making of this great town.”

Among Tulloch’s priorities if elected, she said in a filing statement, is to have the town acquire and renovate the Paul Laurence Dunbar Center, the century-old formerly all-black school heavily damaged by fire in December. She wants it to be preserved as a historical site and a place for community services.

Tulloch said she also wants to “ensure that redevelopment grant projects funds are used appropriately and within set timeframes.”

A facility revenue technician with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Tulloch is a 1995 graduate of North Rowan High School. She earned an associate’s degree in medical office administration from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in 2004 and certifications in medical reimbursement and advanced coding from Central Piedmont Community College in 2008.

Tulloch, 38, has been married to Delroy Tulloch for nearly 20 years. They have three daughters and two sons.

Tulloch stated her community involvement as working to “encourage youth to stay focused in and outside of the classroom in order to excel academically, athletically and as an ethical citizen.”

She has not previously held elected office.