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From left, Georgia-Pacific official Chris Gent, Florida Teacher of the Year Melissa Matz, Support-Related Employee of the Year Stacy Owens, Putnam Teacher of the Year Katrina Feola, School-Reated Employee of the Year Ashely Cassels and Superintendent Rick Surrency stand together after Tuesday’s Employee of the Year Recognition Ceremony. -
Superintendent Rick Surrency hugs Teacher of the Year Katrina Feola at Tuesday’s ceremony. -
From left, Georgia-Pacific official Chris Gent, School-Reated Employee of the Year Ashely Cassels and Superintendent Rick Surrency stand together, with Putnam County School District Human Resources Director Tonya Whitehurst in the background, at Tuesday’s Employee of the Year Recognition Ceremony. -
Gent, left, and Surrency, right, stand on either side of Support-Related Employee of the Year Stacy Owens during Tuesday’s ceremony. -
Crescent City Junior-Senior High School instructor Katrina Feola hugs Principal Tim Adams on Tuesday after she was named the 2023 Teacher of the Year. -
Positively Putnam FL
A group of Putnam County School District employees got their time in the spotlight Tuesday evening during the 2023 Employee of the Year Recognition Ceremony.
A school district selection committee named Katrina Feola, an instructor at Crescent City Junior-Senior High School, as this year’s Teacher of the Year.
All of the honorees were nominated by employees at their school or district department, something Feola said she doesn’t take for granted.
Although she appreciated winning, she said representing Crescent City High was more important than an individual achievement.
“I was super proud,” Feola said of her nomination and win. “I love working in Crescent City, and the staff is phenomenal. There’s so many awesome people at Crescent City.”
Feola’s win at the district level puts her in the running to be Florida’s Teacher of the Year, a feat Crescent City High Principal Tim Adams believes is well within the realm of possibilities.
Feola is a “godsend,” Adams said, and her ability to work well with students, parents and fellow employees is always on display.
“She truly has a magic wand and a heart of gold for our students and teachers throughout our district,” he said. “I would put Katrina Feola against any teacher across the state.”
Ochwilla Elementary School executive secretary Ashely Cassels was named the School-Related Employee of the Year.
Cassels may have been recognized for being an employee, but she said Ochwilla is more than a place to work. It is where two of her children attend school, as did her other child, who is currently in college.
“I try to be as involved in the school as possible,” Cassels said. “I didn’t expect to win. There were a lot of great (nominees).”
Stacy Owens, a data quality coordinator, was chosen as the Support-Related Employee of the Year.
Despite being one of the night’s winners, she talked mostly about her colleagues, saying there was “no better feeling” than having such great people as co-workers.
“I’m so grateful to work with the people that I work with,” Owens said.
All of the night’s nominees are exemplars of what makes Putnam schools so great, Superintendent Rick Surrency said. Any bright spots and improvements in the school district can be attributed to its employees, especially the nominees at Tuesday’s ceremony.
“They are the face of Putnam County,” Surrency said. “They are the people who interact with our students and parents.”
The Employee of the Year nominees were chosen because of the value they add to their respective schools and departments, Surrency said. Some were nominated because they take on additional duties, he explained, while others were being honored because their students may have improved to a greater-than-normal extent.
“I think it shows they’re admired for what they do,” Surrency said of the nominees. “They go above and beyond. It’s not just a popularity contest.
There were other winners Tuesday evening. Melissa Bryan, Maria Villegas and Darrel Wooten were selected as the 2023 Substitute of the Year for the central, south and west districts, respectively.
Mellon Learning Center Principal Tracy Taylor was celebrated as Putnam’s nominee for Principal of the Year and will compete at the state level against principals from Florida’s other 66 counties.
James A. Long Elementary School Vice Principal Paula Adams was the nominee for Vice Principal of the Year.