David Brandon
Principal 
Penn Elementary

Meet David Brandon, Penn Elementary’s new principal. David previously served as an Elementary Principal in the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

David’s top priorities/goals with this role:

As I join the Iowa City Community School District and Penn Elementary I am committed to investing time into getting to know the community I serve. Throughout this year I want to learn more about the special traditions, priorities of the school community and how I can best serve this community.

An interesting fact about David:

I am originally from a small town in Iowa and look forward to having that feel again by serving the community I live within. I look forward to serving the community I live in, attending events, building relationships and making lifelong connections.

Kristina Brown
Dean of Students
Tate High

Meet Kristina Brown, the new Dean of Students at Tate High. Kristina previously served as the Leadership Fellow for Tate High in our District.

Kristina’s top priorities/goals with this role:

My priorities as I begin this position as Dean at Tate High School will be to look into strengthening our PBIS and MTSS systems as well implementing High Reliability Schools programming.

An interesting fact about Kristina:

I am from the East Coast. I love traveling in the summer to Philly, New Jersey Shore, and NYC.

Elizabeth Bruening
Assistant Principal
Elizabeth Bruening

Meet Elizabeth Bruening, starting a new role as Assistant Principal at West High. Liz previously served as the Northwest Junior High Principal in the Iowa City Community School District.

Allison DeVries
Assistant Principal
South East Junior High

Meet Allison DeVries, our new South East Junior High Assistant Principal. Allison previously served as the Northwest Junior High Assistant Principal in our District.

Luke Dillon
Assistant Director of Equity and Instruction
Educational Services Center

Meet Luke Dillon, our Assistant Director of Equity and Instruction. Luke previously served as the ICCSD Online Principal and the Assistant Director of Equity and Instruction in our District.

Emily Dvorak
Assistant Principal
Weber Elementary

Meet Emily Dvorak, Weber Elementary’s new principal. Emily previously served as the South East Junior High Assistant Principal in our District.

Emily’s top priorities/goals with this role:

Our goals for Weber are to create a student-centered school that is focused on creating a school environment where every student can achieve their highest potential. We are committed to having highly effective teachers in every classroom to do this work. We are focused on creating a school climate and culture where every student feels they belong, feels safe, and feels connected and cared for by the staff at Weber. Lastly, we are focused on creating a strong school community with students, families, and staff.

Travis Dyer
Assistant Principal
Weber Elementary

Meet Travis Dyer, Weber Elementary’s new Assistant Principal. Travis previously served as the Leadership Fellow for Van Allen Elementary in our District.

Travis’ top priorities/goals with this role:

My top priorities:

1. To develop relationships with the Weber students, families and staff.
2. To improve all educational practices with a focus on equity and inclusion.
3. To build a culture of trust, transparency and integrity amongst all stakeholders.

An interesting fact about Travis:

Personal: I am not afraid to admit that I LOVE Disney movies/music and that I watch the Bachelor/Bachelorette.
Professional: I love to have fun and I used to regularly dress up as the mascot, Willie the Wildcat, at Grant Wood Elementary.

Kimberly Fitten
Principal
Northwest Junior High

Meet Kimberly Fitten, our new Northwest Junior High Principal. Kimberly previously served as the Liberty High Assistant Principal in our District.

Kimberly’s top priorities/goals with this role:

1. Build a Strong and Inclusive Community
2. Provide safety and supports to students and Staff
3. Highlight the rich legacy of excellence at NWJH

Laura Gray
Executive Director for Diversity and Cultural Responsiveness
Educational Services Center

Meet Laura Gray, our Executive Director for Diversity and Cultural Responsiveness. Laura previously served as the Director for Diversity and Cultural Responsiveness in our District.

Carmen Gwenigale-Ogoli
Director of Curriculum, Assessment & Instruction
Educational Services Center

Meet Carmen Gwenigale-Ogoli, our new Director of Curriculum, Assessment & Instruction. Carmen previously served as the Leadership Fellow for the ESC in our District.

Carmen’s top priorities/goals with this role:

The philosophy that “it takes a village to raise a child” has been a central part of all my life experiences. I am a passionate advocate about helping all students reach their full potential, and it takes a highly effective “academic village” to make that a reality. I am a strong believer that creating a school system that is fully inclusive starts from the moment a child walks into a school building. A student’s love and appreciation for education are nurtured and strengthened daily through every interaction they receive at school.

In this role, I look forward to building strong collaborative relationships with all academic and community stakeholders to design and implement equitable and inclusive instructional practices districtwide. I plan to collaborate closely with our K-12 teachers and principals and support their passion for education and successful student achievement with a viable curriculum and effective culturally responsive strategies that meet the needs of our diverse student community.

An interesting fact about Carmen:

My Afro-Latina (Caribbean) identity shines through me. I was born in Liberia (West Africa) and raised in Liberia and Puerto Rico; a child of two amazing servant leaders (a general surgeon and a nurse anesthetist medical missionary team). I lived and studied in Liberia through the 8th grade and completed high school and college in PR. Even though I hide it well, I am a huge introvert at heart. My biggest passions are my family, cooking for friends and loved ones, and soaking up EVERY moment of sunshine before Iowa winter hits. This is my 23rd year in K-12 education, with experience in private and public schools, teaching elementary through high school (ELL and English Language Arts in PR, and Spanish at ICCSD). I am entering my 21st year as a member of the ICCSD instructional community and I am committed to striving daily to ensure that every student achieves their defined success.

Tracy Johnson
Athletic Director
City High

Meet Tracy Johnson, our new City High Athletic Director: Tracy previously served as the Activities Director for Mason City High School.

Tracy’s top priorities/goals with this role:

To serve our coaches and provide our students and student athletes an experience that will play a positive role in their time at City High.

An interesting fact about Tracy:

I have an Athletic Training Minor from UNI and was the Men's Basketball Trainer and roomed with Nick Nurse the Head Coach of the Toronto Raptors when we traveled with the team during the 1989-1990 Season.

Ashley Mangan
Principal
Lemme Elementary

Meet Ashley Mangan, our new Lemme Elementary Principal. Ashley previously served as the Leadership Fellow for Lemme Elementary in our District.

Ashley’s top priorities/goals with this role:

My priority as Lemme Principal is to continue to create a welcoming and safe place where all students, family, and staff feel proud to be a Leopard! Another priority I have is to provide all students with an equitable education. I look forward to continuing to build relationships with all students, families, and staff to reach high levels of success! Proud to be a Leopard!

An interesting fact about Ashley:

My family and I are avid Disney fans!I love Hawkeye football Saturdays!

Tunisia May
Assistant Principal
Liberty High

Meet Tunisia May, the new Liberty High Assistant Principal. Tunisia previously served as a high school Consulting Teacher and Teacher Leader, as well as a Principal Intern in the Sioux City Community School District.

Tunisia’s top priorities/goals with this role:

I am a true believer in building a community and having a shared vision of success. My goal is to become a "go-to" person for all students and staff.

An interesting fact about Tunisia:

I am a Hall of Fame athlete at the University of South Dakota. I was inducted in 2007 for participating in the Track & Field program.

B.J. Mayer
Athletic Director
West High

Meet B.J. Mayer, our new West High Athletic Director: B.J. previously served as a Math Teacher at Northwest Junior High and coached girls basketball in our District.

B.J.’s top priorities/goals with this role:

My priorities are to support our athletes, coaches, and programs to allow them to be successful in the classroom, playing fields, and in the community. My goals are to continue the excellence in the athletic programs and the school that have been tradition.

An interesting fact about B.J.:

All of my family is involved in the Iowa City School District as my wife is the Online Learning Program principal and my two sons are in high school.

Laura Mayer
Principal
ICCSD Online

Meet Laura Mayer, our new ICCSD Online Principal. Laura previously served as the ICCSD Online Assistant Principal in our District.

Laura’s top priorities/goals with this role:

I am excited for the opportunity to work with students of all ages, K-12 in the ICCSD Online program. ICCSD Online has the opportunity to create a rich learning environment for students with the supports and benefits of an ICCSD education in a more flexible and personal environment than a traditional school setting. I look forward to meeting our students and families throughout the year as I visit classes and work collaboratively with teachers. Our K-12 staff and teachers have the unique opportunity to focus on engagement and instruction within the virtual environment. I am excited for this leadership opportunity to help the program grow.

An interesting fact about Laura:

My family has lived here for the last 15 years. I am active in the school community as a parent of two Liberty High students and the spouse of a former teacher and coach. In my free time, I like to read, garden and spend time outdoors or playing with our two dogs.

Eliza Proctor
Executive Director of Elementary Schools
Educational Services Center

Meet Eliza Proctor, our new Executive Director of Elementary Schools. Eliza previously served as the Lemme Elementary Principal in our District.

Eliza’s top priorities/goals with this role:

My goal as the Executive Director of Elementary Schools is to work alongside our elementary principals and practitioners to ensure that we are providing an equitable, high-quality educational experience to ALL of our students within ICCSD. I am looking forward to getting to know the climate and culture of each of our 22 elementary schools.

An interesting fact about Eliza:

ICCSD is truly home for me and my family. As an Iowa City native, I attended Longfellow Elementary, South East Junior High, and City High. After attending the University of Iowa, I began my teaching career at Horn Elementary prior to becoming the principal at Lemme Elementary, where I served for the past 8 years. My husband, Ted, teaches at Horn Elementary and my two daughters are students at Hoover Elementary. We are proud to be a part of the Iowa City Community School District.

Nick Proud
Chief Human Resources Officer
Educational Services Center

Meet Nick Proud, our new Chief Human Resources Officer. Nick previously served as the Executive Director of Teaching and Learning in our District.

Nick’s top priorities/goals with this role:

We need to continue to hire and develop talent throughout our organization. When we have high-quality staff supporting students it makes a positive impact. I also want to make sure that we continue to see progress in hiring a diverse workforce while expanding our Grow Our Own initiatives.

An interesting fact about Nick:

If I was independently wealthy I would own a restaurant. I am a really good cook.

Lucas Ptacek
Executive Director of Secondary Schools
Educational Services Center

Meet Lucas Ptacek, our new Executive Director of Secondary Schools. Lucas previously served as a middle school principal in the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

Lucas’ top priorities/goals with this role:

My number one goal is to build relationships with the leaders in the secondary schools. I want to understand their goals, initiatives, and pride points for their buildings. I also want to know their improvement areas and what their focus is to address both. Using the High Reliability Schools framework and my strengths and passions as a leader can assist the process for optimal functioning for the students and staff in the Iowa City Community School District.

An interesting fact about Lucas:

My wife, Angela, and I love traveling the country and the world together. As much as possible we'll take our 4-legged golden, Nelson with us. We love immersing ourselves in other cultures and meeting new people.

Ashley Reedy
Director of Special Education
Educational Services Center

Meet Ashley Reedy, our new Director of Special Education. Ashley previously served as the Assistant Director of Special Education in our District.

Ashley’s top priorities/goals with this role:

I look forward to continuing to develop and refine systems and processes that support equitable instructional experiences for all students. My priorities will be to partner with all stakeholders (community members and guardians, paraprofessionals, teachers, principals, and district leadership)to be a listener and collaborator in our shared work of developing equitable systems.

The educational landscape we are facing in public education is formidable, and it will be critical that all of us align in our shared focus of ensuring our students continue to have access to the needed support and services they deserve.

Our school teams and families are working tirelessly to ensure student needs are met. We are seeing more need across all areas, especially in the areas of social-emotional and mental health, in part due to the collective trauma we have experienced as a society with COVID19.

Beyond all of this, my priority is simply to serve. I am a mom and an educator, and those two things remain intertwined. Each student we serve is an extension of me and a face that could be my own child, and it is critical we show up to each of our families and students in that way.
No concern or fear is too small, and no celebration too big. Collectively is the only way we will truly make change.

Keaton Rickels
Assistant Principal
Liberty High

Meet Keaton Rickels, Liberty High’s new assistant principal. Keaton previously served as Liberty High’s Dean of Students, and before that worked as a Science and Language Arts teacher at North Central and coached Track and Field.

Keaton’s top priorities/goals with this role:

My priorities are and will always be student centered with the ultimate goal of creating lifelong learners who are prepared to succeed in the dynamic world we live in. A personal goal for the upcoming year is to help Liberty High School foster a deeper sense of community. I hope to do this through encouraging more opportunities for both students and families to feel a sense of connection to our school community.

An interesting fact about Keaton:

One fact about myself is that my wife and I will be having a baby girl in September. My wife is a teacher at Garner Elementary and we couldn't be more excited to raise our family in this amazing community!

Deborah Scott
Assistant Director of Special Education
Educational Services Center

Meet Deborah Scott, our new Assistant Director of Special Education. Deborah previously served as the Director of Intervention and Prevention Services in Fairfax County Public Schools.

Erin Thompson
Assistant Principal
Northwest Junior High

Meet Erin Thompson, the new Northwest Junior High Assistant Principal. Erin previously served as a High School Principal in the Anamosa Community School District.

Erin’s top priorities/goals with this role:

My priority will be to get to know all students and staff, as well as families, in order to be able to best serve them. My goal is always to make sure we are providing the most well-rounded opportunities and experiences for our students so they can succeed at whatever they choose to pursue!

An interesting fact about Erin:

Throughout my adult life, I've called Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin and Iowa home. However, I now claim Iowa as my official home state as two of my three children were born here and I have been in the Iowa City/Coralville/North Liberty area for the last 15 years!

Gabriel Wylder
Principal
Mann Elementary

Meet Gabriel Wylder, our new principal at Mann Elementary. Gabriel previously served as an Elementary Principal, PK-12 Curriculum Director, TLC Director, and ELL Coordinator in the Winfield-Mount Union Community School District.

Gabriel’s top priorities/goals with this role:

Iowa City has been my home since 2001 when I started undergrad at the University of Iowa. My career in education began with the Cedar Rapids CSD where I was a 2nd grade, 2/3, and 3rd grade teacher for six years. I spent the last 9 years as an administrator in the Winfield - Mt Union CSD. Throughout my educational career, it has become clear that relationships with parents, staff, and students are critical. My goals and priorities as I partner with the Mann Elementary School community will be to invest in building relationships while also learning about all the amazing functions that make Mann such an inviting and exciting school. In addition, the district will be investing in professional learning centered on High Reliability Schools and I very much look forward to learning alongside my faculty as we action plan and grow together.

An interesting fact about Gabriel:

In my free time, I am an avid CrossFit athlete, salsa dancer, volleyball and wrestling official, and karaoke singer. I have competed in both CrossFit and Latin Dance. I have also officiated some marquee events including last December's Dan Gable Donnybrook Wrestling Tournament which was held at Xtream Arena in Coralville.