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New crop of principals take the reins in Pinellas

 
Michael Rebman, 39, principal of Azalea Elementary.
Michael Rebman, 39, principal of Azalea Elementary.
Published July 28, 2016

Elementary schools

Azalea

Michael Rebman, 39, was promoted from assistant principal to principal of Azalea. He launched his career in the Pinellas school district in 2005 and has also served as an assistant principal at Fairmount Park Elementary.

Bear Creek

Willette Houston, 43, was promoted from assistant principal to principal at Bear Creek. Since beginning her career in Pinellas in 2001, she has worked as a classroom teacher, a reading coach and a curriculum specialist at Fairmount Park and Campbell Park elementaries.

Brooker Creek

Jennifer Mekler, 42, began her employment with the Pinellas school district in 2001. She most recently served as assistant principal at Sutherland Elementary.

Campbell Park

Christine Hoffman, 52, was promoted from assistant principal at Campbell Park to principal. She has held a variety of positions in the Pinellas school district since 1991 as a teacher, instructional coach and assistant principal.

Fairmount Park

Kristy Moody, 37, was the principal of Douglas Jamerson Elementary. She began her career in the Pinellas school district as a classroom teacher at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Elementary.

Gulfport

Jessley Hathaway, 41, comes to Gulfport as the former principal of Walsingham Elementary. He has worked in the Pinellas school district since 1997 and has served as assistant principal of Lynch Elementary.

High Point

Michael Feeney, 44, has worked in the Pinellas school district since 2000. His last post was principal of Oldsmar Elementary.

Jamerson

Brandie Williams-Macon, 43, has been promoted from assistant principal of Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary to principal. Since her career in Pinellas began in 1997, she has been a classroom teacher and assistant principal at Campbell Park, Maximo and Lakewood elementaries.

Lakewood

Johnnie Crawford III, 47, comes to Lakewood as the former principal of Lynch Elementary. In his 18-year tenure with the Pinellas school district, he has served as an assistant principal at Tarpon Springs Middle and Northwest Elementary.

Lealman Avenue

Kristen Sulte, 50, is the former principal of Azalea Elementary. She has worked in the Pinellas school district since 1988. She previously was principal of Bay Vista Fundamental Elementary.

Lynch

Cynthia Kidd, 57, comes to Lynch as the former principal of Lakewood Elementary. She has worked in Pinellas County Schools since 1980 as a classroom teacher, Title I specialist, curriculum specialist and assistant principal.

Melrose

Nikita Reed, 48, comes to Melrose from the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences Middle School in Tennessee, where she was a principal. Her educational career began in 1990 and she has served as a classroom teacher, media specialist and assistant principal.

Mount Vernon

Robert Ovalle, 42, is the former principal of Campbell Park Elementary. He has worked in the district since 1996 and has also served as the director of elementary education and principal of New Heights Elementary.

Oldsmar

Jeffrey Moss, 39, comes to Oldsmar from the Randolph County School System in North Carolina. His career in education began in 2002, where he rose through the ranks as a classroom teacher to assistant principal and principal.

Ponce de Leon

Stephanie Blackman, 34, began working in Pinellas County Schools in 2005. Her most recent post was assistant principal of Southern Oak Elementary.

Sandy Lane

Tzeporaw Sahadeo, 39, was an educational consultant and staff developer for the Learning Sciences Marzano Center. She has previously served as a classroom teacher and assistant principal in Hillsborough County.

Seminole

Nanette Grasso, 58, comes to Seminole as a former principal of Melrose Elementary. She has spent more than 30 years in the Pinellas school district as a teacher, assistant principal and principal.

Seventy-Fourth Street

Donna Gehringer, 50, began working in Pinellas County Schools in 1987. She is the former principal of Brooker Creek Elementary.

Shore Acres

Benigna Pollauf, 60, was principal of Fairmount Park for three years. She has been an assistant principal at both Seventy-Fourth Street and Sanderlin elementaries and was a principal at Northwest Elementary for eight years.

Southern Oak

Susan Taylor, 58, has worked in Pinellas County Schools since 1987. She is the former principal of High Point Elementary.

Walsingham

Quinn Williams, 37, was an assistant principal at Cypress Woods Elementary for a decade before coming to Walsingham. She joined the Pinellas school district in 2000 and has also taught at Oakhurst and Ozona elementaries.

Middle schools

Azalea

Solomon J. Lowery, 39, comes to Azalea Middle as the former principal of Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle. He began his career in Pinellas in 2003.

Thurgood Marshall Fundamental

Nicole Wilson, 45, is returning to Thurgood Marshall, where she was a teacher for three years. She launched her Pinellas career in 1999 and most recently served as an assistant principal at Largo High.

Adult education centers

Clearwater Adult Education Center

James Joyer, 52, began working in the Pinellas school district in 1988. His most recent position was assistant principal at Meadowlawn Middle.

Lakewood Community School

Harriet Davis, 62, was a teacher for eight years before becoming an assistant principal. Her career in the Pinellas school district began in 1995 as a substitute teacher. She has since worked as a classroom teacher and assistant principal at Pinellas Park Middle and Lakewood High.

Pinellas Technical College — Clearwater

Jakub Prokop, 40, has been promoted from an assistant administrator of Pinellas Technical College in St. Petersburg to director of the Clearwater campus. Before coming to Pinellas in 2014, he held a variety of positions within career and technical education in the Hillsborough County school district.

Colleen Wright compiled this report. Contact her at cwright@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8643. Follow @Colleen_Wright on Twitter.