FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Fort Wayne Community Schools welcomes 54 community members into our schools to serve as guest principals for the annual Principal for a Day event. Guests representing local businesses, churches, service organizations, real estate agencies and community groups will visit their assigned schools the morning of Thursday, Oct. 13, unless other arrangements were made.
The guest principals will visit the schools from the beginning of the school day until noon, experiencing what a principal goes through in a day. From welcoming students into a building to dealing with concerned parents to working directly with teachers to improve academic achievement, principals do it all. At noon, the principals and their guests will gather at the Wendy Y. Robinson Family & Community Engagement Center for a lunch prepared and served by FWCS Career Academy Culinary Arts students.
Each year following the event, many guest principals find ways to continue partnering with their host school. The following is a list of the schools participating and their guest principals:
*Guest attending on alternative date.
School Name Affiliation
Abbett: Josh King, Volunteer Development Coordinator, NeighborLink Fort Wayne
Adams: Dan Baisden, Neighborhood Planner, City of Fort Wayne
Amp Lab: Steve Franks, Founder, Steve Franks Innovation
Arlington: Ellen Cutter, Chief Economic Development Officer, Greater Fort Wayne Inc.
Blackhawk: Iric Headley, Executive Director, Fort Wayne UNITED
Bloomingdale: Elishama Smith, Owner, Seven Twenty-Nine Salon & Cosmetic
Brentwood: Jennifer Matthias, Board Member, FWCS Board of School Trustees
Bunche: Dr. Joe Brown, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, FWCS
CAS-Nebraska: Nick Gray, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Workforce Development, Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne
Croninger: Greggory Smith-Causey, Programs Manager, Fort Wayne UNITED
Fairfield: Sharon Rusk, Education Director, First Baptist Church of Fort Wayne
Forest Park: Natalie Brewer, Senior Field Experience Coordinator, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne Virtual Academy: Jessica Williams, Host/Producer, WANE 15
Franke Park: Rose Costello, Executive Director of Human Resources, FWCS
FWCS Career Academy: John Urbahns, President/CEO, Greater Fort Wayne Inc.
Glenwood Park: Ryan Twiss, Vice President of Regional Initiatives, NorthEast Indiana Regional Partnership
Haley: Troy Hershberger, Chief Deputy, Allen County Sherriff’s Department
Harris: Jake Essig, Head Men’s Soccer Coach, University of Saint Francis
Harrison Hill: Marla Kessler, President, Zen Property Management Corp.
Holland: Amy Riegling, Executive Director, Townehouse
Indian Village: Howard (Skip) Balkenbusch, Chief Executive Officer, Balkenbusch & Associates, LLC
Irwin: Ryan Egts, Realtor, North Eastern Group
Jefferson: Dr. Luther Whitfield, Senior Pastor, New Covenant Worship Center
Kekionga: Paul Forbing, President, Indian Village Community Association
Lakeside: Julie McGuire, Realtor, eXp Realty, LLC
Lane: Pastor Winston Pearson Jr., Pastor, The Church of Jesus FW
Lincoln: Julie Hollingsworth, Board Member, FWCS Board of School Trustees
Lindley*: Jarin Hart, Chief Programming Officer, Embassy Theater
Maplewood: Ewelina Connolly, CEO, Amani Family Services
Memorial Park*: Steve Corona, Executive Director, Latinos Count; Board Member, FWCS Board of School Trustees
Miami: Pastor K Paul, Pastor, Avalon Missionary Church
New Tech: Brad Stinson, Realtor, North Eastern Group Realty
North Side: David Wagner, President, Vorndran and Associates, Food Service Consultants, Inc.
Northcrest: Anthony Pham, 5th Grade Student & Safety Patrol, Northcrest Elementary School
Northrop: Sen. Andy Zay, State Senator
Northwood: Tim Diefenbach, Chief Technology Officer, JH Specialty
Portage: Joslyn Smith, Human Resources Manager, Valbruna Slater Stainless Inc. Price: Noah Smith, Board Member, FWCS Board of School Trustees
Scott: Mitch Sheppard, Director of Philanthropy, FWCS
Shambaugh: Kelley Hartley Hutton, Athletic Director, Purdue Fort Wayne
Shawnee: Anne Duff, Board President, FWCS Board of Trustees
Snider: Susan Trent, Partner, Rothberg Law Firm
South Side: Rapheal Davis, Big Ten Analyst, Rapheal Davis Basketball
South Wayne: Sarah Knisely-King, Chief Nursing Officer, Lutheran Hospital
St. Joseph Central: Justin Heflin, Realtor, Heflin Group
Study: Terra Brantley, President/General Manager, WBOI
Towles: Erin Dove, Deputy Regional Director, Sen. Todd Young’s Office
Washington: Rick Zolman, Events & Program Manager, Downtown Improvement District
Washington Center: Eric Wood, Executive Director, NeighborLink Fort Wayne
Wayne: Pastor Javier Mondragon, Pastor/Leader, Many Nations Church and Bridge of Grace
Waynedale: Kylee Bennett, Community Well-Being Manager, Parkview Health
Weisser Park*: Pastor Lewis King, City of Fort Wayne, Ten Point Coalition
Weisser Park*: Chris Todia, Chief Executive Officer, Youth for Christ
Whitney Young:
Bo Gonzalez, Owner, Bravas
