Nekoloff retiring as South-Western communications director; Debo hired as her replacement

As she prepares to retire, Sandy Nekoloff has at least one more message she wants to communicate to the students, parents, staff and residents in the South-Western City School District.

It's been her pleasure to help spread the word about the achievements and initiatives accomplished in the district, she said.

Nekoloff will retire Dec. 31 after serving nearly 15 years as the district's executive director of communications.

The school board on Dec. 6 approved the appointment of Evan Debo as her replacement.

Debo, who is in his seventh year as director of communications for Circleville City Schools, will begin his new job Jan. 3.

The school board approved a one-year contract for Debo, who will receive a prorated salary of $72,115.

"I'm tremendously excited to be coming to South-Western," Debo said. "It's a district with deep community roots. I'm thrilled to be taking over from Sandy and helping to tell the story about the district's pursuit of academic success for all of its students."

What has impressed him is that despite being Ohio's sixth-largest school district in enrollment, South-Western manages to maintain a distinctive "small-town feel," he said.

Each South-Western school building creates its own community while still being part of the larger whole, Debo said.

"I believe in the importance of building a strong relationship between the schools and the community," he said.

Trust and open communication are the keys in that effort, Debo said.

The communications director plays an important role in fostering that relationship and helping to enhance academic success in the classroom, he said.

Nekoloff said the most rewarding part of the communications job is being able to share news and information with the community to spotlight students' achievements and their love of learning.

"It's like you have 21,000 additional children you can brag about," she said. "I love getting to share the good things that are going on in our schools."

Although she majored in chemistry and biology in college, Nekoloff said, she "was drawn" to school communications.

Before coming to South-Western in 2007, Nekoloff served as the facilitator for Parma City Schools' Community/Business/Schools Partnership.

"It was a community-relations position that snowballed more and more into a communications role," Nekoloff said.

She then served five years as the director of communications for the Fairview Park City Schools in suburban Cleveland before her appointment in South-Western.

As a past president of the Ohio PTA, "I had a lot of connections with people in school districts all over Ohio," Nekoloff said.

Telling the story about schools appealed to her, she said.

The job of communications director has changed greatly over the past quarter century, Nekoloff said.

"There are so many additional avenues in terms of social media we can use to tell our story," she said. "But for me, the best way to communicate still is personal face-to-face communication."

Diuring her 15 years in South-Western, Nekoloff said, she's been able to share in the accomplishments that include financial stability and an Ohio Facilities Construction Commission project resulting in new elementary and middle school buildings.

All of that enhances the district's ability to serve its students and help lead them to success in school and in college or career, she said.

With her career ending, Nekoloff and her husband, Mike, will move to Florida near Tampa.

The move will put the couple near a daughter who lives in the Sunshine State, she said.

And, as a longtime resident of the Cleveland and Grove City areas, Nekoloff said, she is looking forward to escaping Ohio's harsh winter weather.

New assistant superintendent

The school board Dec. 6 also approved the appointment of Susan Hayward as the district's new assistant superintendent – personnel.

Hayward, who assume her post Jan. 3, will replace Carl Metzger, who will retire Dec. 31.

The board approved a one-year contract for Hayward at a prorated salary of $92,307.

Hayward currently serves as superintendent for Fredericktown Local Schools in northern Ohio.

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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Sandy Nekoloff retiring as South-Western City Schools communications director; Evan Debo hired as her replacement