Ephesus Road Elementary School will be experiencing a changing of the guard, as school officials invite a new administrator on board. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Superintendent Neil Pedersen appointed French language teacher Nathan Hester as interim assistant principal of Ephesus. Hester will change positions no later than Oct. 30. Hester, a 1997 UNC graduate, said he will miss being in the classroom but is excited about the change. "I am very honored to have been asked to fill this position, and to have a chance to really assert the leadership qualities I bring to the position," he said. "The group of people I'll be working with is awesome." Hester will be taking a post left empty when assistant principal Gina Rumbley accepted the position of Ephesus' interim principal. Rumbley replaces departing principal Terrence Young, who will become associate superintendent with Guilford County Schools. Hester's undergraduate studies in K-12 French education were important preparation for his present success, he said. "The program at UNC - both the education and North Carolina Teaching Fellows - contributed a lot to where I am now." Hester was an N.C. Teaching Fellow and served as an intern in four local schools, including Ephesus. He also spent the 1995-96 academic year abroad, studying in Montpellier, France. Rumbley said she has been impressed with Hester's level of involvement in academic life at Ephesus. "He has acted in every aspect of school operations," she said. "He has a positive relation to the faculty, and he has demonstrated a lot of interest in leadership at Ephesus." Rumbley said she and Hester have already developed a successful working relationship, which has included work on the Ephesus School Governance Committee to create a school improvement plan. She also said Hester has gained experience through the committee to contribute a great deal to the future of Ephesus. But the change in positions does not come without challenges. Pedersen said Hester will have a lot to learn in his new position. But he also said he was optimistic about Ephesus' prospects under Hester's interim leadership. "Gina and Nathan will provide the school with the leadership and support that school faculty and staff need in order to continue the level of excellence for which Ephesus is known," he said. The change in school leadership could happen before Oct. 30, if a new French teacher is hired. Rumbley said the school system's Human Resources Department is actively looking for Hester's replacement. "We want to have as smooth a transition as possible," she said. "That's our goal." The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.
