Mr. Beau Stidham (center) has been elevated to FCC principal. Heather Tinsley (left) and Angela Fuentes (right) will join him in 2023-24 as assistant principals.
Following a national search and approval from the Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools Board of Education, Beau Stidham will serve as Fairfield Career Center’s next principal. He has also finished assembling the leadership team that will join him heading into the 2023-24 school year.
Stidham, who previously served as Fairfield Career Center’s assistant principal for the past five years, will officially assume his duties as principal on August 1, 2023. Stidham brings a wealth of administrative and classroom experience to help lead the FCC campus, which he first joined as a math teacher in 2013. Stidham, an Otterbein University (formerly Otterbein College) graduate, began his teaching career at his alma mater, Logan Elm High School, in 2009.
“I am honored to have been selected to serve as the next principal at Fairfield Career Center,” said Stidham. “It is truly a special opportunity to lead staff and students in the building for which I have been a part of for the last 10 years. I'm excited to continue our work of growing and shaping our students who have an interest in learning and developing specific skills in a chosen career field.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Mr. [Beau] Stidham into this new role as Fairfield Career Center principal,” said incoming superintendent/CEO, Shelley Groves. “Over his 10 years with the district, he has already built a relationship with the FCC staff and students as well as an understanding of the vision and mission of our district. Mr. Stidham has a true passion for career and technical education and the opportunities it provides to students, and we are excited to see him enter this next phase of leadership.”
The principal position became available after FCC’s previous principal, Matt McGregor, accepted a position to become the new Aviation instructor at Eastland Career Center. Dakia Washington, FCC’s second assistant principal, followed her passion to make an impact in the classroom and accepted an Intervention Specialist position at Eastland Career Center, leaving two vacancies on the FCC administrative team.
Since being named the incoming principal, Stidham has been hard at work building his leadership team. At the end of an extensive search to fill both assistant principal positions, Angela Fuentas (formerly of Whitehall-Yearling High School) and Heather Tinsley (formerly of Pickerington High School North) were recommended to the Board of Education to approve their hires. At a special Board meeting held June 19, his recommendations were approved, finalizing their hire.
Fuentes comes to FCC from Whitehall-Yearling High School where she has been an assistant principal in the district since 2021. Ms. Fuentes prides herself on serving students from a host of diverse backgrounds and has much experience in improving culture, behavior, and academic success at the districts she has previously spent time in. She is a graduate of Georgia Southern University (Savannah, Ga.) with master's degrees from Trident University (Cypress, Calif.) and Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, Ariz.).
Tinsley has spent the last 17 years in the Pickerington Local School District as an intervention specialist and an administrator. Most recently, she spent time as an assistant principal at Pickerington High School Central, a position she has held since 2021. She has served students from kindergarten through 12th grade in a variety of areas. She is a graduate of Ashland University and completed its administration program, while also earning a master's degree from Walden University (Minneapolis, Minn.).
“Angela [Fuentes] and Heather [Tinsley] are great additions to our administrative team,” said Stidham. “Angela is rooted in building relationships. Her life experiences allow her the ability to relate to various students, adults and situations. She has experience in working with students who have unique challenges, which is a strength and will serve her well. Heather has a mindset suited for logistical processes and she has meticulous organization, which will be a great complement. They come highly valued from previous colleagues and we are fortunate to have them as a part of the EFCTS and Fairfield Career Center teams.”
Fuentes and Tinsley will officially assume their duties as assistant principals on August 1, 2023.
About Eastland-Fairfield Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools is the seventh-largest career and technical education district, geographically, in the State of Ohio. We serve more than 5,000 students in 16 school districts throughout Franklin, Fairfield and Pickaway counties. Eastland-Fairfield provides more than 35 high school and adult training programs that enroll more than 1,700 students. The district has two main campuses — Eastland Career Center in Groveport and Fairfield Career Center in Carroll, four satellite locations, and middle school programming housed in 10 different middle schools around the EFCTS district. Eastland-Fairfield also partners with various businesses to provide students career advancement through specific programming or experiences.
Founded in 1969, Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools’ mission is to engage, enrich, and equip students every day in every experience. We prepare students to pursue their life’s next E: Employment, Enlistment, Entrepreneurship, and/or additional Education. Visit us online at www.eastlandfairfield.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn for regular updates, fun content and information.