North Hills School Board OK's appointments to fill key administrative posts

The North Hills School Board has approved several key changes in the district’s leadership staff.

“These are positive changes for all of those involved,” said Superintendent Pat Mannarino. “While we miss the leadership and guidance of those leaving the district, we thank them for their dedication to North Hills and wish them nothing but the best.”

Following are some of the personnel changes approved by the board at its May 2 meeting:

Assistant Superintendent

Beth Williams has been promoted from her position as high school principal to serve as the district’s assistant school superintendent.

She replaces Jeff Taylor, who was recently hired as the superintendent of the Norwin School District in Westmoreland County.

Williams joined the district in 2006 as an assistant middle school principal and has been the high school principal for past four years. She also served as a principal at Highcliff Elementary School.

Director of Elementary Education

McIntyre Elementary principal Amy Mathieu has been named the district’s director of elementary education.

Mathieu, who has been the principal at McIntyre since being hired in 1998, will now oversee all aspects of the elementary instructional program and supervise all elementary principals and professional staff.

The elementary education director’s post has been vacant since 2017, when former director Marilyn Cain retired.

McIntyre Elementary School

Michelle Spingola, the assistant principal at McIntyre Elementary, is the school’s new principal.

Spingola has served as the assistant principal for the district’s four elementary schools since 2017.

Spingola joined the district in 2006 as a guidance counselor and worked at various district buildings including the middle school and Ross Elementary prior to her appointment as assistant elementary principal.

Director of Athletics

Pat Weber, the assistant principal at North Hills High School, has been named the district’s athletic director.

Weber joined the district in 2011 as a physical education teacher at Highcliff Elementary. Be became the high school assistant principal in 2015.

Weber has served on the high school football coaching staff since 2011 and served as the boys’ lacrosse coach between 2011 to 2013.

Weber replaces Amy Scheuneman, who recently was named associate executive director for the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League.

Director of Communications and Development

Heather Pelat has been hired as the district’s new director of communications and development.

Pelet has spent most of her career in local television news, including stints at WKRN-TV in Nashville, Tenn. and the station’s parent company, Media General. Her most recent job was as a content marketing and social media manager for a Pittsburgh area technology integrator.

Pelet replaces Amanda Hartle, who left the district in April for a position at Carnegie Mellon University.