Teegarden to be New GMTCC Director
by Ben Hogwood

HYDE PARK - The Lamoille District 18 School Board unanimously approved
Joe Teegarden, Hyde Park Elementary School Principal, to be the new
Director of the Green Mountain Technical and Career Center, Tuesday
evening, May 4.Teegarden will begin his new job July 1.
The board began the search for the new GMTCC director after Terry
Bailey, the current director, accepted the Lamoille North Supervisory
Union Superintendent position, also to begin on July 1. Bailey said
Teegarden was "a frontrunner in a very strong field of candidates."
Bailey said there were nine applicants for the position, with four of
those being interviewed. Bailey said that, as well as having an
excellent resume and a positive track record working with faculty,
Teegarden had a very good interview.
"He brought specific ideas about how technical education can grow in
this area" to the interview, said Bailey. One such example was to create
an entrepreneurial class for those who would like to organize and manage
their own businesses.
While Teegarden has been principal of Hyde Park Elementary School for
the past four years, much of his professional experience has been in
secondary education. He was a former principal at an Indiana high school
and was the assistant principal at Essex High School. Teegarden also has
experience in the technical field, as he worked for a high tech computer
company, Electronic Data Systems, in Indiana, and a technical college.
"My interest in technical stuff has been around for a while," he said.
"He'll be a great match," said Lamoille North Superintendent Bob McNamara.
The process for selecting the new director included input from people
throughout the region, not just those in the District #18 area. GMTCC
has students come in from Hardwick, Morristown and Stowe, so it was
important those areas had a say in the director. Both Alice Angney,
Superintendent of Lamoille South, and Rebecca Young, Superintendent of
Orleans Southwest, were on the regional advisory board, which nominated
Teegarden for the position. Bailey was a nonvoting member of this board
and was also on the final interview committee.
Teegarden said he is very excited about taking the position, though he
is a little hesitant following Bailey, former technical director of the
year.
The search has already begun for a new Hyde Park Elementary School
principal. Bailey said the Hyde Park School Board was informed early on
of Teegarden's interest in the GMTCC directorial position and
Superintendent McNamara has met with HPES staff to make an outline for
obtaining a new principal. LNSU has already received six applications
for the job.
The District #18 board offered Teegarden a two year contract for the
position, starting July 1, 2004.
"We definitely got the top person for it," said Bailey.