Ohio County Board of Education members named the district's teacher of the year, and also appointed both a new principal for Woodsdale Elementary School and a new transportation director during the Monday meeting.
The school district also said goodbye to retiring Superintendent George Krelis and Human Resources Director Kathy Finsley, as well as school board members Erik Schramm and Sam Andy, whose elected terms end June 30.
- Sue Hvizdos, an Advanced Placement statistics teacher at Wheeling Park High School, is the Ohio County teacher of the year for 2012.
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Photo by Joselyn King
Outgoing Ohio County Board of Education President
Erik Schramm, left, and retiring Superintendent George Krelis attend Monday’s school board meeting.
"I wish I could say being named teacher of the year was on my bucket list, but I can't," Hvizdos said. "My bucket list is focused on students."
Hvizdos added she has three wishes: that all her students earn AP credits; that all the students for whom she writes recommendations are accepted to college; and that what students learn in her class proves meaningful in their daily lives and careers.
- Woodsdale resident Kimberly Miller is the new principal at Woodsdale Elementary School.
She has been employed by Ohio County Schools for 20 years, and since 2007 has served as student services coordinator for the school district.
She began her career in 1992 as a teacher at Elm Grove Elementary School, and she earned a doctorate last year from West Virginia University. Miller's husband, David Miller recently was elected to represent the 4th Ward on Wheeling City Council.
- Retired Wheeling firefighter David Ziegler is the new transportation director for Ohio County Schools.
Ziegler has worked for 10 years as bus driver for the district, and will take over for current transportation director Gary Kestner who retires effective June 30, and will be sworn in as an elected school board member next month.
Ziegler served 25 years with the Wheeling Fire Department, where he attained the rank of captain. He is the former deputy director of the Ohio County Emergency Management Agency, a former member of the Ohio County Local Emergency Planning Committee, and a former emergency medical technician.
Deputy Superintendent Dianna Vargo will take over as superintendent following Krelis' retirement on June 30. Krelis chose to make no parting comments at Tuesday's meeting.
Andy said his pet project during his four-year tenure on the school board was the construction of a greenhouse at WPHS, and he added he hopes the district continues to build on its technical career offerings.
Schramm concluded eight years on the board, and urged members "to not live in the past," but look toward the future.
Kestner and Sarah Koegler join the Ohio County Board of Education in July. Current Middle Creek Elementary School Principal John Jorden will assume Finsley's job as human resources director.
The current board hired three new teachers Monday: James Blaney and David Crum, both math teachers at WPHS; and Wayne Stidd, a social studies teacher for Warwood School.
