Gulf turns to Bay for new Wewa principals
The Gulf County School Board has gone west to Bay County for new leadership at Wewahitchka, after approving the hiring April 8 of a new principal and assistant principal.
Ron Hensley, a former assistant principal at Rutherford High School and principal at Mowat Middle School, will succeed Karen Shiver as the Wewa principal.
Shiver will be transitioning to the district office as the new director of career and technical education, a position that had remained unfilled in recent years.
Gordon Pongratz, who had been principal of the New Horizons Learning Center in Bay County, will assume the role of assistant principal.
“Both gentlemen come to us from principal positions in Bay County with very high regards,” wrote Superintendent Jim Norton in a public letter. “Their employer contacted me to ask if both could stay on for testing and to ensure a smooth exit transition from the schools they are departing.
“Ron brings a wealth of experience, strong instructional leadership, and a deep commitment to student success with emphasis for staff collaboration,” Norton said. “Gordy is passionate about student and community engagement, and he believes that it takes everyone working together in order to accomplish student success. His stature is massive, and his heart is like a teddy bear.”
Norton said the district looks forward to “the fresh perspective and energy they will bring to Wewahitchka Junior/Senior High School,” and said that over the next month, both men will be spending time on campus and in the community “getting to know each of you and learning what makes our school community so special.”
Norton also recognized Shiver’s more than two decades of service and dedication in Wewahitchka. “Now we need her to assist in serving all students in Gulf District Schools,” said. “We know her love for the school and community will continue.”
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.