Kaitlin Ritchie may be a new hire, but she feels as though she has always been a part of the Churchill County School District. The district has played a big role in making her the person and professional she is and now she is in a position to return the favor, playing a big role within the district.
The district recently hired Ritchie as its new public information officer, a position that was created after Robyn Jordan, the district’s family and community engagement coordinator, left in June to become the recreation supervisor for Churchill County.
Ritchie graduated from CCHS in 2011, then she earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism/strategic communications and a minor in business administration from the University of Nevada Reno in 2014. She moved to Arkansas with her husband, Taylor Ritchie, for a few years, but they returned to Fallon to raise their kids, Harper and Daxton. “There is no place like Fallon and once we had kids we knew we wanted to come back here.” Ritchie previously worked for Janess Digital Ink as a graphic designer and for the City of Fallon doing Marketing and Communications.
Ritchie was born and raised in Fallon. Her dad, Jon Haugen, worked at the Sheriff’s office for 26 years and her mom, Eileen Haugen, retired from the school district after 30 years. So she has been involved in the community for as long as she can remember. “I feel like I’ve always been a part of the district, from being a student to my mom being a teacher, and then my sister becoming a teacher,” she said. “So, it is super exciting that there is now an opportunity for me to do what I love for the school district that literally shaped me into the professional and person I am.”
The position Ritchie is stepping into was created when Jordan left but has been in the making for more than a year. Superintendent Summer Stephens said one of the district’s goals in its strategic plan is to improve engagement and communication. The district began the reorganization and planning in April 2020, to move the family and community engagement coordinator position into a PIO position. Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, so the district wanted to keep continuity with the position and personnel.
“When the position opened, we determined that as a time to proceed,” Stephens said.
The previous position was directly tied to federal programs, which limited the scope of the job’s duties. Stephens said the PIO position will expand the work of that office out across all areas of the district.
“We are excited to have Kaitlin's experience in networking, marketing, and public information,” Stephens said. “We love that we can continue with having our CCHS grads come back and serve our community through the district.”
Ritchie is excited for her new position and the ability to play such a major role in the school district and the community. After what staff, parents, and students experienced last year, she is determined to have as many in-person interactions as possible this year. “My overall goal is to be out and about. I want to be in the schools, the classrooms, and at events. I want the teachers, staff, parents, and students to know me, know who I am, and know that I am here as a resource for them.”
Comment
Comments