Communities In Schools of Moore County (CISMC) has appointed five new members to its Board of Directors who have experience and community involvement in the Sandhills area and beyond.

CIS strives to help students gain a marketable skill to use upon graduation.

n Steve Earwood, owner of the Rockingham Dragway, grew up surrounded and intrigued by classic cars. He got his start with the National Hot Rod Association in 1975. He was recognized as the International Hot Rod Association Promoter of the Year in 2001 and was runner-up for the 2009 Small Business of the Year award.

n Southern Pines Police Chief John Letteney said he believes that law enforcement should be an integral part of the community, a point he emphasizes through the department's Citizens Police Academy. The academy is just one of many programs offered by the department that are in keeping with CIS' initiative to offer young people a chance to give back to their community.

Letteney said he also sees the close tie between lowering crime rates and reducing dropout rates. With construction of a new 30,000-square-foot police station nearly complete, he hopes the new facility will enable the department to provide better public safety services.

n In the face of a suffering economy, Rebecca Listrom said she also understands the need to uphold the well-being of the community. As executive director of Moore County Meals on Wheels, Listrom and about 150 volunteers deliver more than 30,000 hot, nutritious meals a year to the elderly and disabled.

She is also instrumental in other community programs including Back Pack Pals, which provides nutritious foods to children who have little or nothing to eat over the weekend.

n Dr. Eric Porter, assistant superintendent for secondary education for the Moore County public schools, has seen the directbenefit of the CIS programs in the school system. His active participation on the CISMC board further strengthens the ties to the school system and adds his expertise in middle school and high school education, a CISMC news release said.

n Rollie Sampson co-founded and developed SandhillsKids, an online resource for families living in the Sandhills area. As a military wife and mother of two, Sampson said she can relate to the vast majority of parents in Moore County and is extremely adept at connecting them to family-focused resources.

The five new board members join 15 current members: Lesley Berkshire-Bradley, Greg Briley (Progress Energy), Martha Butler (FMCJ Enterprises LLC/ McDonald's), Kathy Byron (FirstSchool Garden), Tom Cruce, Ed Gideon (Action Coach), Connie Landis, Dr. Ted Mataxis (Southern Middle School), Michelle Miller (G Design), Brady Rowland (Walmart), Kellie Shoemake (Sandhills Community College), Peter Stilwell (Pinehurst Resort), Kim Stout (Keller Williams Realty), John Turner (Sandhills Community College) and Lynette Williams (First Bank).

CIS has been in Moore County since 2003 and serves more than 3,500 Moore County students in programs such as the CIS FirstSchool Gardens, the COMPASS Mentoring Program, the Community Career Academy/Hospitality and Golf Academy, the SOAR after-school program and the Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive. The 20-member board of directors, along with Executive Director Andi Korte and a staff of 10, will work to determine ways Communities In Schools of Moore County can make an even bigger impact on the community.

Anyone needing more information on Communities In Schools can visit its Web site at www.cismoore.org or call (910) 295-1072.