During its Thursday board meeting, the Escambia County Board of Education made a number of personnel changes, including the hiring of eight employees.

New hires included:

• Anthony Dunkin, bus driver, Atmore bus shop, effective Sept. 12;

• Larry Zangas, bus driver, Brewton bus shop, effective Sept. 15;

• Jessica Lockett, Katrina Dean and Melissa Nichols as teachers at Rachel Patterson Elementary School;

• Ralind Davis and Brett Amos as substitutes at RPES;

• Cynthia Davis, teacher, Huxford Elementary, effective Sept. 15;

• Natalie Gessner, temporary teacher, A.C. Moore Elementary School, effective Sept. 15, replacing Darla Mims; and,

• Amanda Smith as a teacher and Fabiola Jones as an aide at the W.S. Neal Elementary School after-school program.

One resignation was accepted — Pat Rolin, bus driver, Atmore bush shop, effective Sept. 18, and one retirement was accepted — Marion White, teacher at Escambia County Alternative School, effective Nov. 1.
The board also granted a leave of absence to:

• Darla Mims, teacher, A.C. Moore, under the Family Medical Leave Act, effective Aug. 28; and,

• Lori Rider, Pollard McCall Jr. High, FMLA maternity leave, effective Sept. 28.

The board accepted the following resignation:

• Pam Hart, seven hour lunchroom worker at W.S. Neal Middle School, effective Sept. 2.

The board also made the following changes:

• Betty Warren, bus driver, Atmore bus shop, to temporary part-time bus driver effective Aug. 29;

• Rebecca Mollenbrink, six-hour lunchroom worker, Pollard-McCall to seven-hour lunchroom worker, effective Sept. 15;

• Emily Dean, six-hour lunchroom worker, A.C. Moore, to seven-hour lunchroom worker, effective Sept. 15;

• Kathy Douglas, six-hour lunchroom worker, WSNMS, to seven-hour lunchroom worker, effective Sept. 15.

• Louise White, bus driver to secretary/bookkeeper, Atmore bus shop, effective Sept. 15 to replace Fedelia Crews; and,

• Sally Denton, teacher to reading coach at WSNES, effective Oct. 1 to replace Leigh Ann Rowland.

This story was written by Brewton Standard publisher Stephanie Nelson.