| An
Owen County graduate moved into a position of leadership Saturday
at the Marion County Area Technology Center in Lebanon.
Laura Arnold, daughter of Carolyn and Delbert Keith, took over
as principal of the center.
Arnold, 30, comes to the technology center after six years as
a family and consumer science teacher in Mercer County and three
years as the Boyle County 4-H extension agent. She said she is
looking forward to this next stage in her career.
“It just seemed like a good fit with my background,”
she said.
Arnold is a native of Owen County, and a graduate of Owen County
High School. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s
degrees at the University of Kentucky in 1997 and 2001, respectively,
and she completed her Rank I in administration in 2004.
Arnold and her husband, Craig, now live in Springfield with their
3-year-old son, Blake.
“I’m glad to have a job closer to where I live,”
she said.
Arnold’s father, Delbert, was an administrator in the Owen
County School System. Her mom was the former Owen Circuit Clerk,
so administration may come naturally to her.
“Once I started teaching, I decided I wanted to get into
more of an administrative role so I could affect the student body
as a whole,” she said.
The center serves students in the Marion and Washington county
school districts. Although the technical center principal is a
state employee, Marion County Superintendent Roger Marcum said
Arnold will be included as part of the local leadership team.
Marcum was a member of the selection committee that recommended
hiring Arnold. He said Arnold came across as articulate, confident
and poised during the selection process, and she showed the ability
to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
“There was a strong consensus that she was the best applicant
for the position,” he said.
Marcum added that he thinks Arnold’s background as a family
and consumer science teacher will also benefit her pursuit of
a progressive vision for the center.
Washington County Superintendent Larry Graves said he couldn’t
be more excited about Arnold’s selection.
“She will provide the leadership and the guidance to help
students develop and grow and become career-oriented,” he
said.
In Washington County, Arnold will work with the high school principal
and the guidance staff on vocational education issues, Graves
added.
“We will forge a partnership with her,” he said.
Arnold said she wants to work with the staff at the technology
center to identify goals for the school. Likewise, she is looking
forward to meeting with local business and industry leaders to
find out what their needs are.
“I’m just eager to get started,” she said.
Click
Here to Go Back to Front |
