The following testimony is from Jody Lee, who worked in Warren County Public Schools for 25 years. Jody is a Warren County public schools graduate, born and raised in Front Royal. After graduating from college, he returned to Warren County and obtained a teaching job, working under the leadership of Andrew Keller. Jody describes Andrew as a second dad. He was Jody’s middle school basketball coach and Jody says he “always inspired me to be the best person I could be.” After six years of teaching, Jody became the Dean of Students under Andrew, a role he served in until he completed his master’s degree. When Skyline High School opened, Jody was promoted to assistant principal. He served at Skyline for 16 years, until 2023, when he entered into his role as the Director of Human Resources. This summer he accepted a position with Shenandoah County Schools.
I think the flexibility of the Warren Coalition is amazing to me. You guys are always adapting to what our community needs. And I’ve seen that firsthand myself. You know what we have struggled with, you know different things that our adolescents go through. You all are always looking out for their best interests and willing to create opportunities that would help whatever the present circumstances are.
Wow. That’s an amazing milestone. 30 years. That’s impressive.
I think that just goes to show the amazing resources that you all provide. I know particularly for me, I was an administrator in the county for 19 years and 16 of those years I was at Skyline High School. That’s how Denise [Hackney of the Warren Coalition] and I [met] because one, her daughter came through the school system, so I knew her through her daughter. And then, as she worked with Warren Coalition, she and I got to be great friends just through serving those programs [and] our students there at Skyline High School. She worked individually with students and just did an amazing job. She just has that amazing ability to relate to kids and, and show her love and passion, and kids just really felt supported by her.
At the time when I was at Skyline High School, Christa [Shifflett, Executive Director] would bring in the programs and ideas. We did the talent show for several years where we hosted it either at Skyline High School or Warren County High School. And [they] got a lot of kids involved and a lot of community members involved as judges and different things. They would come in during our lunches. I remember, it was tobacco awareness one time and they brought in these examples of your lungs and what they look like after you smoked cigarettes for X number of years and what a healthy lung looks like. Just to be able to be there for our kids and talk to them. I think they appreciated that, and [it] had some great effects for our kids that were struggling with nicotine addiction and things of that nature, because they also provided other programs in regards to that, not just those hands-on experiences.
I think the flexibility of the Warren Coalition is amazing to me. You guys are always adapting to what our community needs. And I’ve seen that firsthand myself. You know what we have struggled with, you know different things that our adolescents go through. You all are always looking out for their best interests and willing to create opportunities that would help whatever the present circumstances are.
I would certainly encourage any support that our community could provide, whether it’s financial or just being aware of the great resources that that you all bring to the table. I think that itself, that number three-zero, says it all right there–how beneficial and how important you all have been for our community to be that successful over that longevity is amazing. I appreciate it as a parent of two students that came through our school system–they both graduated and have moved on–and as a public school employee that has worked firsthand with your staff. They do amazing things and I’ll continue to support and promote Warren Coalition as long as I have the opportunity to. So, thank you guys for everything that you do for our students and our community.