The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Jake Johnson, Principal of Cullman Middle School; Dena Mayfield, Pre-K Principal at Hartselle City Schools; and Dr. Richard Templeton, Supervisor of Student Services at Muscle Shoals City Schools to the College of Education’s Board of Visitors. Kenneth Lones, Senior Director of Corporate Administration at Torch Technologies, Inc., has also been appointed to the College of Arts and Sciences’ Board of Visitors.
Jake Johnson is in his 16th year in education and 4th year as Principal of John G. Cullman Middle School. Before serving as Principal, Jake was the CTE/Federal Programs Coordinator for Cullman City Schools. Prior to this, he worked at Cullman High School in many different roles including assistant principal for two years, math teacher for eight years, and coach of various high school sports. After teaching at Cullman High, he also served as an assistant principal at Fairview Elementary for one year before returning to CHS as an assistant principal. He received his Educational Specialist Master’s degree from the University of Alabama and his bachelor’s degree from Auburn University. Jake is married to Emily Johnson and together they have a daughter (Nora) and a son (Owen).
Dena Mayfield has over 25 years of teaching experience in the Hartselle, Alabama area. She received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from Athens State University and master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Educational Specialist degree from The University of West Alabama. She also received her Educational Leadership Certification from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Mayfield currently serves as the Pre-K Principal for Hartselle City Schools. She has also held roles as Curriculum and Professional Development Coordinator, Pre-K Director, and Reading Intervention Specialist within the school system. Mayfield is currently an adjunct professor at Athens State University in the College of Education and has been honored as a Teacher Apple Award Nominee, Jacksonville State Teacher of the Year Nominee, Walmart Teacher of the Year, and Who’s Who Among American Educators during her career.
Dr. Richard Templeton currently serves as the Supervisor of Student Services for Muscle Shoals City Schools and has 16 years of experience in education. He received his Doctor of Education in Special Education and Multiple Abilities from the University of Alabama, Master of Education in Collaborative Education 6-12 from the University of Alabama A&M, Bachelor of Science in Education in Collaborative Education 6-12 at Athens State University, and Educational Specialist degree in Collaborative Education 6-12 from The University of Alabama. He also has a Certification inEducational Administration from the University of North Alabama and is Credentialed as a Certified Instructional Leader (CIL)by the Council for Leaders of Alabama Schools (CLAS). During Dr. Templeton’s career, he has also served as Student Services Coordinator & Principal of the Cullman Community Comprehensive Learning Center as well as the Resource Special for Cullman City Schools. Dr. Templeton has been honored with numerous honors and awards including the Tommy Russell Award for Excellence in Doctoral Studies, Jasper Harvey Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies, and M. Ray Loree Outstanding Dissertation Research Award.
Kenneth Lones is the Senior Director of Corporate Administration at Torch Technologies, Inc. He received his Bachelor in Psychology and Bachelor of Education in Social Sciences at Athens State University. He also has specialized training in federal contracting, government contract law, and pricing/proposals. Lones has over 25 years of experience providing leadership, coaching, and mentoring across interdisciplinary departments as well as a strong business acumen with a significant background in contract and procurement law, export compliance, and management of diverse teams. Outside of work, Lones enjoys music, martial arts, history, political science, and philanthropy.