People Watch
School Administrator, May 2021


Doug Brubaker

The new superintendent in Texarkana, Texas, is Doug Brubaker, who had served four years as superintendent in Fort Smith, Ark. Previously, he was the associate superintendent in Garland, Texas, for two years and assistant superintendent in Mansfield, Texas, for six years. Brubaker also worked as director of instructional technology in Carrollton, Texas, and held two principalships over seven years in Southlake and Burleson, Texas. He began his career as a teacher in 1995. An AASA member since 2016, Brubaker received his Ph.D. from the University of North Texas.


Susana Cordova

The new deputy superintendent of the Dallas, Texas, Independent School District is Susana Cordova, who served the previous year as superintendent in Denver, Colo. She earlier was the deputy superintendent in Denver for three years and spent time as acting superintendent. Cordova also filled berths as chief schools officer, chief academic officer, executive director of teaching and learning, and principal in Denver. She started her education career as a bilingual language arts, drama and social studies middle school teacher in 1989. She has been an AASA member since 2019.

Rosalie M. Daca

The Urbandale Community School District in Urbandale, Iowa, has selected Rosalie Daca as its next superintendent. She had served as chief academic officer in the Racine, Wis., Unified School District since 2013, where she held prior positions as an elementary school directing principal and a middle school assistant principal. Daca has 35 years of experience as an educator and began her career as a mathematics teacher for 15 years in St. Petersburg, Sebring and Wakulla, Fla. She has been a member of AASA since 2014.

Jennifer A. Kephart

Jennifer Kephart is the incoming superintendent for Washington, Mo., after spending several years in Lee’s Summit, Mo., as associate superintendent of academic services and assistant superintendent of elementary education. She previously spent three years as executive director of elementary education in Liberty, Mo. Kephart has held several principalships and teaching positions in various Missouri districts. She began her career as a teacher in Shawnee Mission, Kan. An AASA member since 2020, she received her Ed.D. from St. Louis University.

Nisha Patel

Nisha Patel has been selected as superintendent in Clayton, Mo. She spent the previous 1½ years as superintendent of Fox C-6 School District in Arnold, Mo., where she had been assistant superintendent for secondary schools for three years. Patel held several posts in the Rockwood School District in St. Louis, Mo., including high school science teacher and principal. She received the 2020 Champion Award from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse-St. Louis. An AASA member since 2016, Patel received her Ed.D. from Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo.


Tony B. Watlington

The new superintendent of the Rowan-Salisbury School District in Salisbury, N.C., is Tony Watlington, who earlier spent three years as the chief of schools and four years as the central region superintendent in Guilford County, N.C. Watlington held several other positions in Guilford County during a 12-year tenure. Early in his career, he worked as a bus driver for Harnett County Schools in Lillington, N.C. An AASA member since 2018, he earned his Ed.D. in educational leadership from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.



APPOINTMENTS
Benjamin Bragg, from principal, Catskill High School, Catskill, N.Y., to superintendent, Germantown, N.Y.
Matthew Cook, from superintendent, Newark, N.Y., to superintendent, Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Counties BOCES, Syracuse, N.Y.
Joel Hagood, from superintendent, Walker County, Ala., to president, Bevill State Community College, Jasper, Ala.
Nyah Hamlett, from chief of staff, Loudoun County, Va., to superintendent, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Steven Hope, from interim superintendent to superintendent, Goshen, Ind.
Kenneth Saranich, from assistant superintendent to superintendent, Shelton, Conn.