John Marshall Principal Cassie Porter Named Next Wetzel County Superintendent
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GLEN DALE -- John Marshall High School Principal Cassie Porter is set to become Wetzel County Schools' new superintendent.
Porter, who has served as JM's principal for seven years, said she has enjoyed her time working in Marshall County, but could not pass up the opportunity to work as a superintendent.
Her career in education for the past 30 years began with her teaching in Ohio County Schools for 13 years. She later served as an assistant principal in Hancock County and then assistant principal at JM. Then she worked as principal at Sherrard Middle School for five years before coming back to JM as head principal.
For Porter, the job has been both interesting and fulfilling.
"You never know what will come across your desk," she said. "I always aspired to be a principal of a high school and I've loved every second of it."
Porter said she has enjoyed serving the students and also working with the staff at JM, but believes she is a "good fit" for Wetzel County.
"I feel I was born to be an educator. I'm in my 30th year in education and I still have a deep passion for it, she said. "I can't wait to serve the students in Wetzel County next."
One aspect of her job that Porter said she will miss is the interaction she gets to have with the students. She noted in her new position she will not have as much direct contact with the students, but she plans to talk with them as much as she can.
Porter said she loves Marshall County and lives in Mount Olivet with her husband, Mike Berner, who is an educator in Brooke County. They each have two children whom they have raised together: Seth, who works as an engineer, and Emma, Peyton and Sydnee, who are all in college. They also have two pets, Jersey the dog and Patches the cat.
"My family has been very supportive of me and the career changes I've made over the years," she said.
Porter said she wanted to thank Marshall County Schools for its support through the years. She also thanked the JM staff who said she is "incredible to work with" and the students who she said she loves.
Tony Wood, Marshall County Schools communications coordinator, said the board of education will likely accept Porter's resignation during its next meeting and then begin a search for her replacement.
Porter will begin her new position in Wetzel County on July 1.
Wetzel County's current superintendent, Tammy Wells, is set to retire from her position on June 30.
Porter noted her first year as superintendent in Wetzel County will be spent listening and learning about the district and its inner workings and working closely with its board of education. After that she will help form ideas and plans to move the district forward.
Linda Fonner, president of the Wetzel County Schools Board of Education, said there were a multitude of things that made Porter the best choice for superintendent.
"She has lots of administrative experience and she has good leadership skills. But what really clinched it was her high expectations," Fonner said. "She's going to help us improve the school system. We've been improving the past couple years, and she's going to keep us moving forward."