Waverly Superintendent, Dr. Debra Jones.

As your new superintendent, I look forward to becoming an active member of the Lansing community. I have had the opportunity this spring to visit the schools and speak with students and staff. The warm welcome has been greatly appreciated. The support of the school board and the staff during this transition period will enable the Waverly School System to continue to move forward in providing excellence in education for all the children in the community. I will continue to become more familiar with the people, policies and procedures of the school system as endeavor to utilize my leadership skills to further the excellent education Waverly Schools provides to the community.

Born and raised in Indianapolis, I had always wanted to be an educator. I graduated from DePauw University with an elementary education degree and a minor in social studies and English. My teaching experiences have included every grade from 3rd through 8th in small towns to large cities in Ohio, Tennessee, and Indiana. I have coached middle school girls’ basketball and sponsored many clubs during my teaching tenure.

During my years with North Adams in Decatur, Indiana, I completed my Master’s Degree at IPFW in Education Administration. In 1990, I began my administrative career with Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) serving as elementary school principal and middle school principal. Later in my career with FWCS my doctorate was initiated. I graduated in December, 2004 from Indiana State University with a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Foundations.

My husband of 33 years, Thad, is a consultant and provides management support to companies in the agriculture, energy and food areas. We have a married son, Mastin, who graduated in 2005 from DePauw University and is currently working for Cengage Learning in Boston. In high school, he participated in band, swimming, and track (shot put). Our daughter, Ashley, who graduated from Wake Forest with an Accounting and Spanish Degree and also did her Masters in Accountancy at Wake Forest, currently works for Ernst and Young in Atlanta. During her high school career, she was a four year athlete in volleyball and basketball.

Our family will be moving into the Waverly School District and we look forward to becoming involved in the community. We are fortunate to join a district with such a solid foundation, one which is committed and dedicated to the education of all children. I plan to move forward with the vision of creating a positive, successful school experience for children pre-K to 12 where academics are valued and the community commitment (as evidenced by the school board) to excellence is expected. Together we will continue to make a difference for the children of Waverly Schools.