The Lee’s Summit R-7 School District Board of Education approved the employment of two new administrators for the 2018-19 school year at the Board’s Feb. 22 meeting.

Kelly Wachel, currently the executive director of public relations at the Center School District, will serve as the district’s executive director of public relations beginning July 1. She is replacing Janice Phelan, who is retiring from the district on June 30.

Jeff Scalfaro, currently principal at Trailridge Elementary, has been named principal for Bernard Campbell Middle School, beginning his new job on July 1. He is replacing Dr. Sherri Lewis, also retiring from Lee’s Summit R-7 on June 30.

Wachel has worked for the Center School District since 2005. She previously worked in corporate public relations, marketing and sales within the Kansas City area. She serves as president-elect of the Missouri School Public Relations Association, has been a presenter at state and regional conferences and is a published author on education topics. Wachel earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas. She also recently earned her accreditation in public relations from the National School Public Relations Association.

Scalfaro has worked in education for 22 years including 14 years within the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District. Before becoming principal at Trailridge, he served as an assistant principal and principal at Grain Valley South Middle School, as a Bernard Campbell Middle School social studies teacher and as a director of secondary summer school for Lee’s Summit R-7. Scalfaro has been a presenter at regional, state and national education conferences. A Lee’s Summit resident, he earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education (social studies and history) from the State University of New York at Cortland, his master’s degree in education administration from the University of Central Missouri (UCM) and his education specialist degree in K-12 superintendency from UCM.