New Principal Top of the World Elementary
Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education Announces New Principal at Top of the World Elementary School
Laguna Beach Unified School District, February 14, 2020, Media Release
Dr. Julie Hatchel, previously of the Irvine Unified School District, will take on the role
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — At the February 13 regular meeting of the Laguna Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) Board of Education, the board took action to approve the appointment of Dr. Julie Hatchel as Principal of Top of the World Elementary School (TOW) effective April 20. Dr. Hatchel replaces Michael Conlon, who was promoted to the position of Director of Human Resources in September. She was selected from a candidate pool in a competitive process that included input and participation from the TOW staff and community.
Dr. Hatchel has more than 20 years of experience as an educational administrator, currently serving as Principal at Deerfield Elementary School in Irvine. She holds a doctorate in education leadership from California State University, Fullerton and a proven track record of furthering student success and well-being through collaboration with teachers, staff, students, and families.
“Through the screening and interview process, Dr. Hatchel demonstrated that she is a dedicated, reflective, and collaborative leader,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jason Viloria. “We are excited to have her bring her diverse experiences and leadership skills to our district, where I know she will continue to work with the school community to support student achievement,” he concluded.
Dr. Hatchel was one of 16 candidates selected from the pool of applicants to participate in the initial interview process. Six candidates were selected to move forward to the next round and were interviewed separately by two stakeholder panels consisting of parents, teachers, support staff, and administrators. From that group of candidates, three were selected to move on to the final interview panel with the Superintendent and other District administrators.
“I am honored and excited to join the team at Top of the World Elementary,” said Dr. Hatchel. She continued, “I look forward to supporting the important work of the staff and community in continuing to provide an outstanding education for our students.”
The District will host a meet and greet event for the TOW community to meet Dr. Hatchel in April.
