ST. GEORGE — With only weeks left of the school year, the Washington County School District continues to hire for positions that need to be filled due to promotion or retirement.

Over the last couple of weeks, the district has announced another round of personnel filling vacant school administrative spots.

Among the principals, a familiar name is the new principal of Washington Fields Intermediate. Brooks Bergeson, the son of retiring superintendent Larry Bergeso,n takes over for Brad Christensen.

Christensen leaves after one year at the school in Washington to take over the Director of Student Services position being vacated by the retirement of Karen Bess.

Bergeson is coming from Crimson Cliffs Middle. However, he started teaching science at Snow Canyon High School.

He had been a teacher on special assignment at Sunrise Ridge Intermediate. The program offers teachers who want to enter administration the opportunity to learn from the current administration. 

“It has been great training for future administrators and it was great for me,” Bergeson said.

He has been in administration for six years. 

As a Wyoming-raised boy, he would visit his grandparents in St. George and watch his brother play basketball at Dixie State. And he said he absolutely fell in love with the area and resides here with his wife Brie and four kids — three boys and one girl.

He helps coach or supports his kids’ sports teams. He loves sports, especially golf.

A big Tiger Woods fan, he has golfed on some world-class golf courses, but his favorite is Tributary in Driggs, Idaho.

He said his life has lately been like the movie “Cheaper by the Dozen” as there is so much going on with his kids being active, and his career promotion and he said it can be full of “chaos.” But in the end, his relationships with family and coworkers give him support to have a joyous life.

“The best advice I have been given that is effective is… relationships,” Bergeson said. “Building positive relationships. Show kids, teachers and faculty that you really care about them.”

Launa Williams is assuming the role of principal at Lava Ridge Intermediate School in Santa Clara.

She grew up in St. George and has been an educator in the Washington County School District as a teacher at Pine View and Dixie high schools, the learning coach and assistant tennis coach at Dixie High School and assistant principal/athletic director at Water Canyon High School.

Having received her doctorate from Baylor University, she said loves being an educator and believes teachers are the real heroes of education.

She loves traveling with her family as well as playing tennis and golf.

She believes in listening to the people she works with and building “honest trusting relationships” and will miss those relationships at Water Canyon.

She has a goal to add value to Lava Ridge and to arrive every day with a positive attitude and an open mind to help those within the area.

Daniel McKeehan is taking over at Hurricane High School after having started his career there teaching history and as head volleyball coach in 2004. He taught there for 13 years and for the last six has been the assistant principal.

“People and relationships are No. 1,” McKeehan said. “Keeping the focus on trying to do the right things to help others meet their goals is a fun experience and worth it.”

He said he is a “country music, rock-hyping, outdoor camping, baseball-crazed kind of guy” who loves spending time with his family.

He graduated from Southern Utah University and took a position as a fourth-grade teacher at Dixie Downs Elementary. He moved to Red Mountain Elementary when it opened and became a Site Coordinator after 19 years of teaching.

This led him to Springdale.

He says he is a “little bit of country and a lot of rock and roll” with a big love for movies as he was a theater manager earlier in his life.

Since he sings in an acapella quartet, he likes to hit a note about how “everyone needs a cheerleader” to help them through life.

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