ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Tuesday, March 5, 1996                 TAG: 9603050048
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-3  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER 

PINCUS TO PURSUE CAREER GOALS, WON'T SEEK ANOTHER TERM

Roanoke School Board member Finn Pincus will not seek a new term, saying he wants to devote more time to his job and pursue other goals.

A former chairman and a board member for six years, Pincus said Monday he thinks it is time for him to step aside and give others the opportunity to serve. His term ends June 30.

Pincus, who is men's and women's track and cross-country coach at Roanoke College, said his job is taking more time and he has professional goals that will make it more difficult for him to remain on the board.

"I feel like I've made a contribution," he said. "I think six years is a long time."

Pincus, 40, served as chairman for two years, overseeing the hiring of Wayne Harris as superintendent in 1993.

Board member Charles Day, a retired teacher, coach and principal whose term also ends June 30, has applied for a new three-year term.

Only Vice Chairman Marilyn Curtis has been on the board longer than Pincus and Day. She was appointed in 1988.

City Council is accepting applications for the two seats, with terms beginning July 1.

Under the public selection procedure, council announces pending vacancies and invites applications, which are being accepted until Monday. Application forms may be obtained in the city clerk's office in the Municipal Building.

Council publicly interviews up to three applicants for each seat.

Most counties and cities in Western Virginia have switched to the election of school boards, but Roanoke and Salem have kept the appointed system.

Salem voters rejected the elected method in a referendum. An attempt to get the issue on the ballot in Roanoke failed because not enough signatures of registered voters were collected in a petition drive to force a vote.

Day, who was a coach and guidance counselor during his career with Roanoke schools, has a bachelor's degree from Virginia State University and a master's degree from Radford University.

Pincus has a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia, and two master's degrees and a doctorate from Virginia Tech. He is a former director of ECPI Computer Institute in Roanoke.

In recent years, Pincus has pushed for the hiring of additional physical education teachers in elementary school to help improve children's fitness and raise the city's test scores on fitness tests.

LENGTH: Short :   50 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  (headshot) Pincus.