Another Washington County Career Center administrator moved up the ladder Tuesday as Mike Elliott was approved as the new secondary director.
Elliott has served as assistant secondary director at the career center for three years. The director's position opened last month when Dennis Blatt was approved as the career center's new superintendent, set to take over July 1 following the retirement of current Superintendent Roger Bartunek.
"(I'm) absolutely ecstatic," Elliott said after the career center board's unanimous vote to make him director during its regular meeting Tuesday. "I love the students, and I love the staff. I'm a fortunate person. I enjoy coming to work each day."
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Video description Auctioneer Keelan McLeish takes bids on landscaping stone.
Elliott will earn an annual salary of $89,959. His current salary is $73,921.
Blatt said Elliott was the only candidate to apply for the job after it was posted internally.
"I'm excited about Mike being the director," Blatt said. "He's got a special way with students. He's very well respected by our staff. And he has experience as a principal at Marietta High School that will serve him well here."
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Mike Elliott
Elliott was principal at the high school for five years before joining the career center staff. Prior to that he served two years as assistant principal at the high school and four years as assistant principal at Marietta Middle School.
"We're very pleased to advance him from the assistant to the director and feel he's very qualified and will do an outstanding job," career center board President Larry Holdren said.
The vote came after a nearly two-hour executive session, although Holdren told Elliott that another personnel matter took up most of that time.
Fact Box
Mike Elliott
- Unanimously approved Tuesday as secondary director for the Washington County Career Center, effective July 1.
- His annual salary will be $89,959.
- Elliott has served as assistant secondary director for three years.
- He was principal of Marietta High School for five years prior to that.
In other business
The sale of materials including concrete block, landscaping stone, bricks, chairs, desks, shelves and more earned the career center $7,577.
The main attraction was the auction of a house built and wired by career center high school students, under the direction of building trades and carpentry instructor Ken Gebhart and electricity instructor Jeff Canterbury. The winning bid was made by Fleming resident Jim Gibson for $48,000.
"They always do good work," Gibson said of the career center's students.
Gibson's grandson, Nick, was one of the students who did the wiring in the building.
Prior to the bidding, Bartunek said the starting bid of $45,000 wouldn't even cover the cost of all the materials in the structure. He noted that businesses provided the career center with discounted rates.
"It isn't about making a whole lot of money; it's about providing quality training for the students," he said.
