INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The School District of Indian River County finalists for 2015 Teacher of the Year and 2014 School-Related Employee of the Year have been announced.
The teacher nominees representing their respective schools competed at the district level and the finalists are:
Lyndsey Matheny, 2nd grade teacher, Citrus Elementary School
Jessica Geary, Pre-kindergarten Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) teacher, Dodgertown Elementary School
Michelle Isaacson, 3rd grade teacher, Highlands Elementary School
Katy Bartolini, Kindergarten teacher, Sebastian Elementary School
Caitlin Freedman, Kindergarten/1st grade teacher, Vero Beach Elementary School
This year’s teacher of the year selection committee, co-chaired by Mrs. Cheryl Conley, Coordinator of Professional Development/2011 State of Florida Teacher of the Yea,r and Rachel Serra, Professional Development Specialist/2012 Indian River County Teacher of the Year, is comprised of the following members: Donna Clements, Hibiscus House; Ramon Echeverria, Principal, Fellsmere Elementary School; Chris Hiser, Indian River Education TV Channel 28 Producer; Dr. Bud Gill, Principal, Alternative Center for Education; Carol David, Assistant Principal, Vero Beach Elementary School; Margaret Ingram, Teacher, Beachland Elementary School/1988 State of Florida Teacher of the Year; Cynthia Emerson, Assistant Principal, Sebastian River Middle School; Letitia Whitfield-Hart, Principal, Sebastian Elementary School; Dr. Christina Hayes, District Psychologist; Jody Houston, Teacher, Fellsmere Elementary School/2014 Indian River County Teacher of the Year; Jon Teske, Principal, Citrus Elementary School; Dawn Bennett, Assistant Principal, Oslo Middle School; Chris Kohlstedt, Director of Assessment and Accountability; Dr. Lillian Torres-Martinez, Director of Student Services; Tosha Jones, Assistant Principal, Gifford Middle School; Debbie Santos, Resource Specialist/IRCEA Representative; James Thimmer, Teacher, Storm Grove Middle School; Eathel Hart, Teacher, Sebastian River High School; Brandon Putzke, Teacher, Liberty Magnet School; Heather Holden, Teacher, Vero Beach High School Freshman Learning Center; Crystal Duval, Teacher, Dodgertown Elementary School; Christi Shields, Teacher, Adult Education; Janai Cooper, Assistant Principal, Glendale Elementary School; Karen Zwemer, Teacher, Rosewood Magnet School; Sally Brown, Teacher, Storm Grove Middle School; Andrea Judisch, Teacher, Pelican Island Elementary School; and Kevin Browning, Principal, Pelican Island Elementary School.
The school-related employee nominees representing their respective schools or departments competed at the district level and the finalists are:
Laurie Nelson, Teacher Assistant, Citrus Elementary School
Tarsha Jenkins, Secretary, Dodgertown Elementary School
Nicholas Melchiori, Education Technology Specialist, Glendale Elementary School
Liz Gioffre, Administrative Assistant, Highlands Elementary School
Wendy Gardiner, Employee Benefits & Risk Management Specialist, J.A. Thompson Administrative Center
This year’s school-related employee of the year selection committee, chaired by Peggy Poysell, Executive Assistant, is comprised of the following members: Karen Malits, Coordinator of Title I, III, & X; Deborah Long, Director of Secondary Education; Brenda Davis, Administrative Assistant, J.A. Thompson Administrative Center; and Wiley Sifford, Indian River Education TV Channel 28.
Dr. Adams, Superintendent of Schools, invites everyone to the Teacher of the Year and School-Related Employee of the Year Gala to be held at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 6:30 p.m.