Two former coaches in other systems have been named assistant principals at Olmstead and Adairville Elementary schools.
Superintendent Kevin Hub, Adairville Principal Katina Kemplin, and the Olmstead principal duo of Ben Kemplin and Bonnie Watson have announced that Josh Matthews will be assistant principal at Olmstead and Ben Bruni at Adairville.
Their news releases follow:
Olmstead School is excited to announce the selection of Joshua Matthews as the new assistant principal for the upcoming school year. Josh is a 1995 graduate of Logan County High School and graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1999 with a B.S. in Business/Marketing. He began his career at the University of Missouri-Rolla as an Instructor and the Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach. In 2001, he took a job at Labette Community College as an Instructor and the Head Women’s Basketball Coach. In 2004, Josh was promoted to the Assistant Athletic Director at LCC while still performing his coaching and teaching duties. As a coach at LCC, Josh’s program produced a total of 19 NCAA DI / DII scholarship athletes and he was named Jayhawk Eastern Conference Coach of the Year in 2006. In 2006, Josh became an Instructor at Henderson State University and the Head Women’s Basketball Coach. While teaching and coaching at the college level, Josh earned his Master’s in Business Administration from Morehead State University in 2007.
In 2011, Josh returned home to Franklin to become the Business Education Teacher and Girls Basketball Coach. In 2012, Josh became the Career Readiness Coordinator and Business Teacher for the alternative school in Simpson County. He brought the percentage of career ready seniors from 1 percent in 2013 to 100 percent career readiness in 2014. Josh completed his Masters of Arts in teaching from the University of the Cumberlands in 2013. He is currently working on his third master’s degree. Josh will earn his Education Specialist degree from UC in June.
Additionally, this school year he oversaw the implementation of a mentoring/wellness program at the alternative school which produced a significant increase in student attendance and decrease in discipline referrals. Josh has worked with students of all ages through camps, even starting a little dribbler’s team at Franklin-Simpson for ages 4-8. The alternative school serves grades 6-12.
Josh is the son of Robert and Nancy Matthews. He married his wife Sharla in 2012 and they are expecting their first child in September. He started a business with his family which provides continuing education for electrical contractors throughout Kentucky in the subject areas of Business and Electricity.
Josh will begin his role as assistant principal July 1 as current assistant principal Bonnie Watson assumes the role of principal. Long time Principal Ben Kemplin will be exiting to take on the role of Director Human Resources and Operations for the Logan County School System.
Adairville School is pleased to welcome Mr. Ben Bruni, who will serve as the school’s Assistant Principal beginning in the fall of 2015. Mr. Bruni comes to Adairville with 12 years’ experience in public education in Kentucky and a diverse background of teaching at multiple levels in several school districts. Mr. Bruni most recently worked for the past two years as the Director of Alternative Placement services for the Bowling Green Independent School District as well as teaching middle school English and reading.
Prior to this, Mr. Bruni taught high school English for nine years at Warren East High School. While at Warren East, Mr. Bruni taught all four levels of English as well as heading an ACT Intervention Program designed for assisting students who failed to meet benchmarks to learn better test-taking strategies. In addition to his teaching duties, Mr. Bruni served as the Head Football Coach for the high school, leading the program to the most successful years in school history and garnering six separate Coach of the Year awards. Mr. Bruni began his professional career in education just west of Logan County, working as an English teacher and Head Football Coach for Todd County Central High School.
Mr. Bruni is excited about making the transition into educational leadership at Adairville. “Adairville is clearly a top notch school already. The Blue Ribbon status that it has achieved shows that both the community as well as the district understands how to achieve excellence at the highest level. It’s my hope that I can keep that positive momentum going while interjecting my own enthusiasm for education into the halls on a daily basis.”
Regarding the transition from a traditionally high school background to the elementary and middle school levels, Mr. Bruni has a real excitement about the experience that can be found at Adairville. “I have always been drawn to the elementary and middle school levels of education because of the ‘bounce’ that seems to exist in those buildings. There is nothing quite like the thirst for knowledge that young children bring through the doors each day. It’s invigorating to be around that, to help foster that. I can’t wait to do everything I can to help add to Adairville’s energy.”
On a more personal level, Mr. Bruni was born in Ft. Worth, Texas. He then moved to San Diego, Calif. for several years where his father worked for the Navy and his mother taught at San Diego State University. In 1987, the family moved to Bowling Green where both of his parents took teaching positions at WKU in the Psychology Department. He attended Bowling Green High School where he was an All-State Football player and then WKU. He graduated with honors from WKU and holds two degrees from there: a BA in English Allied Language Arts and a MA in Educational Administration. He is currently enrolled in WKU’s Educational Leadership Doctoral Program.
His wife, Staley Bruni, is also in the educational profession and works as an Exceptional Education teacher at Bowling Green High School. The Brunis have three daughters, Dillon (16), Brady (14), and Emery (8). “Having three daughters has been a blessing in my life. It’s taught me compassion and humility. It’s changed the way I see the world and the way I approach each day. My girls and my wife remind me each and every day of the greater good in this world, and they inspire me always to be the best man that I can be.
“I cannot thank Adairville, Mrs. Kemplin, Dr. Hub, Logan County Schools, and the interview committee enough for affording me the opportunity to join this fine community. The role that is being entrusted to me is one that I will pour my heart and soul into and is one that I cannot wait to hit the ground running with. I am excited and blessed to work in a profession where each day presents a chance to change lives.”