Seven area schools will have new leaders who were recently promoted or appointed to principal positions, but none are strangers to Gaston County schools.
Three of the educators received promotions to principal positions while four are being reassigned to different schools.
Your new principals
Justin Beam will take over as principal of John Chavis Middle School. Beam currently serves as assistant principal of Highland School of Technology. He is from Cherryville and will be returning to his roots with the new appointment.
Curt Hovis has been appointed principal of Warlick Academy. Currently serving as director of alternative education for Gaston County Schools, Hovis has worked at Warlick as assistant principal in the past and will soon return to take the lead post.
Jaime Wallace will be the new principal of Gardner Park Elementary School. Currently Gardner Park’s assistant principal, Wallace has been an assistant principal at multiple Gaston County schools.
Principals taking transfers
Bryan Denton will be the new face leading Cramerton Middle School. He’ll make the move from John Chavis Middle School in Cherryville, where he served as assistant principal before being named principal there in 2010.
Amy Holbrook will become the principal at York Chester Middle School. Holbrook currently serves as principal of Cramerton Middle School and previously worked as an assistant principal at Ashbrook High School and Belmont Middle School.
Kathi Withers has been appointed principal of Pinewood Elementary School. Withers currently serves as principal of McAdenville Elementary School.
Linda Neely will soon head up McAdenville Elementary School. She is currently the principal at Rhyne Elementary School.
Assistant principal transfer
Caroline Black will be the new assistant principal of Gardner Park Elementary School. Currently serving as one of three assistant principals at South Point High School, Black will take the position vacated by Justin Beam, who’s moving to Highland Tech.
Other appointments
Jacob Barr has been appointed director of community relations. Currently serving as principal of Pinewood Elementary School, Barr will now work directly with parents and act as a liaison between parents and school leaders.
Pam Huffstetler is the new director of testing. Currently an assistant principal at Ashbrook High School, Huffstetler is filling a position left vacant by retirement.
You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and Twitter.com/GazetteDiane.
