Dot Kearns, the first woman to serve as a Guilford County commissioner, has died

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Dot Kendall Kearns, the first woman to serve on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, has died.

Kearns graduated from UNC Greensboro when it was known as the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina. She was the first woman to serve as chair (1985-88) of the Guilford County Commissioners and is the namesake of Kearns Academy, a vocational secondary school in High Point.

Earlier in her career, she served on the Boards of Education for both High Point City Schools and then Guilford County Schools. She advocated for the innovative Smart Start program for young children. She also served in community service positions with the National Conference of Community and Justice, the Guilford County Health Advisory Board, Communities in Schools, the NC School