CCHS principal promoted to HR director

After serving almost a decade as principal at Churchill County High School, Kevin Lords is progressing within the school district as the new Director of Human Resources.

The Churchill County School District Board of Trustees approved the move at its June 27 meeting, effective July 1, serving under new Superintendent Summer Stephens.

Lords said he’s excited to begin his new role, as he’s passionate about enhancing communication throughout each school.

“I enjoy working with people and finding solutions to help them,” he said. “There are challenges, too, but I’m looking forward to working with the district on a bigger scale.”

Some of those challenges, Lords said, are addressing the district’s substitute teacher shortage and bridging gaps to help site administrators by providing more support within the HR office.

Trustee Tricia Strasdin said Lords — who also teaches an HR class through University of Phoenix online — has the full board’s support, adding that trustees appreciate his integrity to the district.

“The community expressed support for local representatives within the district,” she said. “This role is almost like a promotion and a boost for superintendency in the future. I believe (Lords) is what the district needs when dealing with negotiations.”

Lords was a candidate for the superintendent search earlier this year.

Board President Clay Hendrix said hiring Lords as director of HR is a great move for the district.

Trustee Kathyrn Whitaker added that one of the goals for the board is the importance of hiring effective teachers — the progression occurs under the approval of the director of HR.

“He mentioned the need for communication during his superintendency interview,” she said. “This is a perfect opportunity to ensure everyone understands their roles. We want to continue to expand upon what (Lords) has done and serve the district as a whole.”

As for replacing a principal at CCHS for the 2018-19 academic new year, a position has been posted on the job board.

Lords said he will miss students and staff as he begins a new chapter in his educational career.

“I’m very hopeful we can find a high school principal to continue we started doing and promote the culture and keep it moving in a good way,” he said. “CCHS has been very good to me.”

Prior to CCHS, Lords was vice principal at Churchill County Middle School for two years. He then became principal at the middle school for two years when Principal Judy Pratt retired.