I am honored, and humbled, to serve as the Superintendent of Mechanicsburg Area School District. Since 2003, I have called Mechanicsburg home both personally and professionally. Starting as a high school math teacher and track coach, I quickly began to appreciate the amazing community we have here. I then had the opportunity to serve as an assistant principal at the high school and principal of Broad Street Elementary before leading the opening of Elmwood Academy as the school’s first principal. In 2020, I moved to the district office where I provided academic leadership as the Assistant to the Superintendent.  Finally, I was commissioned as the sixth superintendent of Mechanicsburg Area School District in 2024. 
 
Over my years in the district, I’ve interviewed hundreds of potential teachers and staff members.  At the end of those interviews, I give the candidate the chance to turn the table and ask any questions they have for me.  Most frequently, candidates ask some version of what I appreciate about our district.  I tend to believe that the way I typically answer that question reveals a bit about who I am as a person…and how that intersects with who we are as a school district.
 
What I appreciate most about our school district, and continue to steward, is that everyone keeps their eyes fixed on our students.  We seek programs, decisions and strategies that will be best for them now and in the future.  That doesn’t mean that we sometimes won’t disagree on what is best, but we’ll do so believing that our motivations are true.  The reality is that the longer I’m in education, the more I recognize that rarely does a perfect solution exist for many of the challenges we face.  Also, we are a beautifully diverse community.  Diverse in perspectives, abilities, backgrounds, races, religions, and identities.  With that at our core, we don’t stop at just asking what is best for students as a broad generalization, we strive to ensure that every one of our students can walk through our doors each day with access to amazing programs and the feeling that they belong here.  When we live out our motto of Tradition, Pride, and Excellence, we do so knowing that Tradition doesn’t mean that we’re stuck in our ways.  Our “tradition” embodies forward-thinking and willingness to make thoughtful changes to ensure we’re not doing what was best for last year’s students, but what is best for our current and future students.  We do that with pride as we strive for excellence.  So, what do I appreciate about our district?  I appreciate who we are…what we value…and who we strive to be as we educate the youth of our community.
 
With that appreciation, I am honored to steward.  For such a time, I can serve our community by using the gifts, talents, and experiences I possess.  For such a time, I am blessed to collaborate with an outstanding staff who each bring their own unique skill sets and personalities to their work.  For such a time, I get to partner with you, regardless of your street address, as we foster amazing schools together.  Finally, for such a time, I get to authentically welcome every Mechanicsburg student into our schools and help them achieve in ways they never realized were possible.
 
Please explore our site to learn more about our district.  Thank you for your support of our schools, our teachers, and our students.
 
Go Wildcats!