Lopez Island School has a new Head of School.

Lisa Shelby, currently living and working in Galena, Alaska, has accepted the district’s offer of employment and this July will begin her new role as Head of School and Principal of grades kindergarten through 12.

“The Lopez School Board is thrilled that Lisa will be coming to lead our school,” said John Helding, board member and chair of the search committee.  “We conducted a nationwide search, had close to 30 candidates from more than a dozen states apply, and out of the three exceptional finalists who spent the day with us at the school, Lisa rose to the top as the best fit with our district both in terms of experience and approach.”

Shelby is currently the principal of a 200-student public boarding high school located on the banks of the Yukon River in Alaska. Prior to that role she ran a 500-student home schooling program in south-central Alaska. She also has multi-age teaching experience across grades K-12 with a focus on the elementary years.

In addition to her 12 years of work and life in Alaska, Shelby has served as a Master Teacher at the Journeys School of the Teton Science Schools in Wilson, Wyo.

Shelby has a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Applied Learning and Development from the University of Texas at Austin.  She also holds a Master of Arts in Outdoor Education and Educational Leadership from The University of Northern Colorado.

“I am so excited to become a part of Lopez Island School and the Lopez and Decatur communities,” Shelby said.

Shelby, her husband Rob, and their son Tristan, six, will be moving to Lopez Island in July.