By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Three new administrators joined Dowagiac Union Schools Monday night.
The Board of Education hired Randall L. Yoder of Jones to replace John Lehigh, who retired, as Union High student advocate; Kevin Kelm as transportation supervisor to succeed Greg O'Toole; and Lincoln Clark for the new part-time position of Dowagiac Middle School Performing Arts Center supervisor.
Clark, recommended by a committee consisting of Assistant Superintendent Hal Davis, Principal Mike Frazier, teachers Rich Frantz, Cheryl Welke and Tom Stansifer and Technology Coordinator Randy Gross, brings 15 years experience, including with Southwestern Michigan College, South Bend, Ind., Century Center and Morris Performing Arts Center.
Since 1996 Yoder has been assistant director of The Center for Community Justice in Elkhart, Ind.
As an administrator for a not-for-profit community agency he joined in 1990, he had a staff of 28 to offer innovative alternatives to incarceration and responsibilities that encompassed financial administration, grant writing and computer network administration. Previously, as a part-time youth care worker in 1990-1991, Yoder supervised offenders in the Elkhart County Juvenile Center.
Yoder earned an associate degree in 1986 from Hesston, Kan., College in liberal arts and accounting. He majored in history to teach social studies for his 1992 bachelor's degree from Goshen, Ind., College.
Study and travel abroad opportunities have taken him to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in 1988-89 to work with a 300-bed Mennonite nursing home, where he learned the Dutch language while traveling throughout Europe.
He studied French language, culture, economics and history of the West Indies while living with a local family there in 1987 and working part-time as a laborer on a banana plantation.
A 1986 Anabaptist (Mennonite) course culminated in a four-week, 1,600-mile bicycle tour of The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and France, with Yoder as a student team leader.
Yoder student taught in history and economics in the fall of 1991 at Elkhart, Ind., Memorial High School. At Sherwood High School in Creighton, Mo., Yoder was a standout basketball player, lettered in football and played in concert, jazz and marching band.
Kelm, of Stevensville, July 1 becomes transportation supervisor. O'Toole leaves the district effective June 30.
Kelm has been Berrien County Intermediate School District transportation supervisor since 1992. Kelm was born in Benton Harbor and graduated from St. Joseph High School.
He also worked for Siemans/Mazda in St. Joseph as a mechanic before going to to the BCISD.
The district also filled five teaching spots, including:
Marcie (Mahar) Chapman, special education, Kincheloe, to replace Kathryn Erickson.
Crystal Campbell, special education, Justus Gage, temporary replacement contract.
Lisa Armijo, K-4 counselor, Sister Lakes, to replace Carrie Tanon.
Amy Bermingham, Title I, McKinley, to replace Bonnie Lloyd, who retired.
Karen Ennesser, Dowagiac Middle School, eighth grade science, to replace Billie Dollins.