Billings Named Executive Director of School Leadership

 The Johnston Community School District executive cabinet welcomes a new face for the 2022-23 school year. Mr. Chris Billings has been hired as the district’s Executive Director of School Leadership. He most recently served as the principal at Summit Middle School.

The school leadership executive position combines executive coaching, professional development, and evaluation of principals and school-level directors. Billings will use the Danielson Framework for Effective Teaching to develop and provide professional learning for staff and administrators. He will also complete various Department of Education reports and data sets. He will join the Superintendent’s executive cabinet, along with Superintendent Laura Kacer, Associate Superintendent Dr. Nikki Roorda, and Chief Financial Officer Ryan Eidahl.

“We are thrilled to have Mr. Billings join the executive cabinet,” said Superintendent Laura Kacer. “He brings a wealth of experience both in JCSD as well as other school districts that will help us strive toward meeting our goals of increased student achievement for all. His proven track record and passion for supporting school leaders will be an asset to our team.”

Billings has served in various teaching and administrative education roles since beginning his career in Utah in 1990. He began as a language arts intern teacher, then an English teacher, intern administrator, and eventually an assistant principal before moving to Nora Springs, Iowa in 1997 to work as secondary principal, K-12 principal and athletic director for seven years. From there, Billings moved to serve as the middle school principal in Gilbert, Iowa until 2017 when he took the principalship at Summit Middle School.

Billings holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Teaching and a Master’s Degree in Education from Brigham Young University. 

“Our schools have an excellent reputation and a history of academic achievement,” Billings said. “I look forward to working with administrators and teacher leadership to continue to build on this tradition and take on new challenges that are ahead of us.”

The JCSD School Board is expected to approve his contract at the June 27 board meeting.