People Watch

People Watch
School Administrator, January 2019

LaTonya Goffney
The first African-American superintendent in Aldine, Texas, Independent School District is LaTonya Goffney. She comes to Aldine from Lufkin, Texas, where she was superintendent for five years. Goffney began her career as a language arts teacher in Coldspring-Oakhurst Consolidated Independent School District in Coldspring, Texas, before becoming an assistant principal, principal and superintendent in the district. She earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Goffney joined AASA in 2012.

James P. Harris Jr.
The Daniel Boone Area School District in Douglassville, Pa., has said goodbye to its superintendent of the last three years as James Harris is now the superintendent of the 3,900-student Woodland Hills School District in North Braddock, Pa. Harris briefly worked in the School District of Philadelphia as executive director of facilities and operations and was chief operating officer in both Dayton, Ohio, and the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. in Evansville, Ind., after serving in the U.S. Army. Harris has been an AASA member since 2016.

Brad A. Kelvington
Brad Kelvington has assumed the superintendency of the Rocori School District in Cold Spring, Minn. He previously worked for a year as the superintendent of the Aitkin, Minn., Public Schools after serving as intermediate school principal and director of activities in Foley, Minn., for 11 years. He also was an elementary principal in Sacred Heart, Minn., and a middle school principal in Danube, Minn. Kelvington began his career in 1992 teaching physical education and social studies in the South Dakota communities of Harrisburg and Vermillion. He joined AASA in 2017.

Craig Lockhart
The new superintendent of the Dooly County School System in Vienna, Ga., is Craig Lockhart, who served most recently as deputy superintendent in Newton County, Ga. Lockhart previously worked as an instructional superintendent in Birmingham, Ala., City Schools, assistant superintendent in Bibb County, Ga., high school principal in Covington, Ga., and elementary principal in the Taylor County Schools in Butler, Ga. He began in education as a science teacher. Lockhart, who joined AASA in 2017, earned his Ed.D. in educational leadership from Argosy University.

A. Katrise Perera
After several years in administration in the East, Katrise Perera now serves as superintendent of the 10,800-student Gresham-Barlow School District in Gresham, Ore. She previously was superintendent of the Isle of Wight County Schools in Smithfield, Va., and earlier served in administrative posts in the Henrico County Public Schools in Richmond, Va. Perera also worked in Houston, Texas, as an area superintendent. An AASA member since 2011, she earned her Ed.D. in education leadership and policy studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Jane Stavem
The Lake Washington School District in Redmond, Wash., has welcomed Jane Stavem as its new superintendent. Stavem has spent the past six years in Lincoln, Neb., as associate superintendent for instruction after a three-year stint as superintendent in Blair, Neb. She also was executive director of curriculum and instruction and an elementary principal in Columbus, Neb., and served as curriculum coordinator in St. Paul, Minn. Stavem earned her Ed.D. in educational administration from the University of Nebraska. She joined AASA in 2012.

APPOINTMENTS

Jonathan Cooper, from chief innovation officer to superintendent, Mason, Ohio
Kathy Demers, from assistant superintendent, Wyoming, Ohio, to superintendent, Monroe, Ohio
Timothy Hanson, from deputy superintendent to superintendent, Metropolitan School District of Warren Township, Indianapolis, Ind.
Gail Kist-Kline, from superintendent, Mason, Ohio, to president, Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Cincinnati, Ohio
Steven Meyers, from deputy superintendent to superintendent, Pleasant Hill, Mo.
Daniel G. Nerelli, from superintendent, Upper Darby School District, Drexel Hill, Pa., to superintendent, Chichester Area School District, Aston, Pa.
Tim Pecoraro, from assistant superintendent to superintendent, Pattonville School District, St. Ann, Mo.
John Rozzo, from assistant superintendent to superintendent, Upper St. Clair, Pa.
Michael Vuckovich, from interim superintendent, Johnstown, Pa., to superintendent, Indiana, Pa.
Steven Yanni, from superintendent, New Hope-Solebury School District, New Hope, Pa., to superintendent, School District of Upper Dublin, Maple Glen, Pa.

RETIREMENTS
Dena Cushenberry, superintendent, Metropolitan School District of Warren Township, Indianapolis, Ind.
Debra Howe, superintendent, Tri-Creek School Corporation, Lowell, Ind.
Greg Killough, superintendent, Roanoke County Public Schools, Roanoke, Va.
George (Dusty) Kornegay, superintendent, Thomas County Schools, Thomasville, Ga.
Catherine C. Latham, superintendent, Lynn, Mass.
Patrick O’Toole, superintendent, Upper St. Clair School District, Upper St. Clair, Pa.
Kathleen Sherman, superintendent, Chichester Area School District, Aston, Pa.
Deborah Wheeler, superintendent, School District of Upper Dublin, Maple Glen, Pa.

HONORS
Alvin L. Garrison, superintendent, Covington, Ky., elected president, Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services, Cold Spring, Ky.
Keith Wunderlich, superintendent, Waterford, Mich., elected board president, Middle Cities Education Association, Lansing, Mich.

News about AASA members’ promotions, retirements, honors and deaths should be addressed to: Editor, School Administrator, 1615 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Fax: 703-841-1543. E-mail: magazine@aasa.org

Danna Diaz
The former superintendent of the 800-student San Juan Island, Wash., School District is the new superintendent of Reynolds School District in Fairview, Ore. Danna Diaz came to the Pacific Northwest from Texas, where she was assistant superintendent in El Paso and director of student engagement in Fort Worth. She also was a regional superintendent in Philadelphia and an elementary principal in several schools in Texas and Florida after starting as a bilingual teacher. Diaz, who earned a Ph.D. from University of Texas at Austin, has been a member of AASA since 2012.

Charles E. Foust
The new superintendent in Kansas City, Kan., is Charles Foust, previously the chief school performance officer in Monroe, N.C. Foust also worked as an assistant superintendent, school support officer and principal in the Houston, Texas, Independent School District and as a principal and assistant principal in Guilford County, N.C. He began his career teaching at-risk students in Danville, Va. Foust earned his doctorate in professional leadership from the University of Houston. He joined AASA in 2017.