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Dr. Chip Jones, who will become the new superintendent of Cumberland County Public Schools July 1, has announced plans for restructuring the central office for the 2020-2021 school year. His plan was presented to the Cumberland School Board and approved at the May 8 meeting.

Starting next year, Dr. Elizabeth Jamerson will be the assistant superintendent of human resources and director of technology. She will serve as school board clerk, compliance officer, public relations coordinator, and superintendent’s designee. In addition, she will work with the coordinators of food services and transportation to help support operations. Dr. Jamerson has a Bachelor of Arts degree as well as a Master’s of Arts degree from Longwood College (now University) and a doctoral degree from Old Dominion University. Prior to assuming her current position as director of human resources, she has served CuCPS as a high school English teacher, the coordinator for special programs, and the coordinator of instructional technology.

Dr. Jamerson has also been an active participant in community and civic organizations. She currently serves as an executive board member of the South Central Workforce Development Board, co-chairman of the Southside Virginia Regional Technology Consortium, vice president of the Cumberland Historical Society, member of the Cumberland Museum Board, member and past president of the Cumberland Education Association, member of the Cumberland Ruritan Club, member of VSTE, and member of the steering committee for VaSCL.

As of July 1, Bernice Ford will become the director for special education. In this position, she will also be Title III coordinator, the coordinator of special populations, and the discipline, truancy, and safety officer. In addition, she will continue to be the foster care liaison, the gifted and talented coordinator, and the homebound coordinator, and she will assume the duties of deputy clerk of the school board and superintendent’s designee. Ford has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in business administration with a concentration in finance, a Bachelor’s of Science degree in liberal studies, and a master’s degree in educational leadership. She has served as a teacher, an assistant principal, a principal, and a supervisor of special education.

She is a member of the gifted consortium, VCASE, SVGS, FAPT team, and VESA. She also serves on the talented and Gifted Advisory Committee, the Special Education Advisory Board, and the Federal Programs Advisory Committee.

Dr. Sheri Almond will be the director of curriculum and instruction and federal programs. She will also be the director of testing, serve as the homeless coordinator, and be in charge of professional development and VPI.

Prior to working in Cumberland County, Dr. Almond served as a middle school teacher, an assistant principal, a principal, and a director of special programs. Her years of professional experience have provided her with the opportunities to work in a variety of different geographical locations as well as with very diverse populations. She has a bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina University, a master’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a doctoral degree from North Central University. She currently serves as the chairperson of the Region 8 Professional Development Council, the secretary of the Computer Science Teachers Association (Southern Virginia Chapter), secretary of WELV, and vice president of Cumberland Habitat for Humanity.

Jeffrey Dingeldein will be the Lead ITRT/Network Administrator for Cumberland County Public Schools. In addition, he will serve as webmaster, social media facilitator, and support person for testing, student information systems, and school databases. He will also monitor network security (including camera security and visitor identification system), serve as the chairman of the Technology Committee, provide professional development use of instructional technology, and prepare documents and reports as needed (such as the division technology plan).

Dingeldein holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Longwood College and a Master’s of Science in Educational Leadership from Longwood University. Moreover, he has earned Dell Certification for Notebooks and Chromebooks. Previously, Dingeldein was a classroom teacher, a director of student activities, an adjunct professor for Longwood University, an assistant principal, and a principal.

He is a member of the Southside Virginia Regional Technology Consortium, the National Association of Secondary Principals, the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals, the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, Phi Delta Kappa, National School Public Relations Association, and College Media Advisors.