Superintendent of Perry Township Schools
As we usher in the new year we also usher in transition. This month the Perry Township Board of Education said goodbye to two beloved board members who have fiercely advocated for our students. In January we will welcome two new additions.
After 16 years of serving on the board, Rubie Alexander has stepped down. Her education career spans more than 30 years and several positions, including math teacher, dean of students, computer coordinator, mathematics department head, vice principal and evening school director. Rubie also served as our human relations director, a position from which she retired in June 2000. As a board member she made every decision with the best interest of the kids in mind. Her influence will definitely be missed.
Gwen Freeman has called Perry Township home for 50 years and served on our board for eight. She is a proud graduate of Southport High School and has volunteered on her class reunion committees for more than 20 years. Gwen attended Butler and is retired from Rolls-Royce. She has several years of community service in Perry Township, including secretary of the South Madison Neighborhood Association and president of the Country Estates Condo Owners Association. We value each of Gwen’s contributions to our community.
Next month we will excitedly welcome Emily Hartman and Steven Johnson to the board. Emily is a product of Perry Township Schools, having attended Burkhart Elementary, Perry Meridian Middle School and Perry Meridian High, where she graduated in 1996. After earning a bachelor’s degree in consumer affairs from Purdue in 1999, she and her husband, Joe – also a Perry grad – returned to the Southside to raise their family.
Emily is involved in our schools. Two of her children attend Burkhart; the other two attend Perry Meridian Middle. Over the years she’s served as president, treasurer and vice president of Burkhart’s Parent-Teacher Association. Emily is the administrative coordinator for Community Hospital South’s surgical services.
Steven has been a fixture in our community for several decades. For 30 years he taught social studies at Perry Meridian High. He has coached football and track and field. Before his career in education, Steven served in the U.S. Coast Guard and attended Eastern Kentucky, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history and education. Steven’s two children are graduates of Perry Meridian High, and his wife, Lynne, is a teacher at Glenns Valley Elementary.
Though Rubie and Gwen will be missed, we wish them limitless joy and happiness in the next chapter of their lives. As we welcome Emily and Steven as our newest board members, we enthusiastically look forward to collaborating to help our students and staff succeed.