The Southern Ohio Education Service Center (SOESC) Governing Board recently announced that it has voted unanimously to hire Jeff Royalty as interim director of the Region 14 Hopewell Center.

The Region 14 Hopewell Center serves students in Adams, Brown, Clinton, Fayette and Highland counties.

Royalty will replace current director Beth Justice, who will begin serving as superintendent of the SOESC.

Both Royalty and Justice will begin serving in their new positions beginning Jan. 4, 2017.

Having served the Western Brown Local School District as a music teacher and band director, administrator, and superintendent for 31 years, Royalty retired in 2010. He has since served as the Ohio Department of Education Southwest Ohio Race to the Top regional coordinator and currently contracts with the Ohio Department of Education Academic Distress Commission and the School Improvement Diagnostic Review Team.

Royalty holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Cumberland College and a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Dayton. He has also held leadership positions in various educational, civic and community organizations.

Submitted by Diana L. Miller, communications coordinator, Serving the SOESC, Clinton-Massie Local, and Wilmington City Schools.