Comings and goings

• Community

Beth Ricker/Daily Globe With the retirement of longtime Community Education Director Jerry Fiola ((from left), Lakeyta Potter, Sharon Johnson and Soom Chandaswang will assume new roles at the West Learning Center complex.

Talk about it

WORTHINGTON — Big changes are afoot at Worthington’s West Learning Center, but luckily there are capable, experienced and enthusiastic people ready to step in and fill the shoes of those who have gone before them.

The domino effect begins with this: Jerry Fiola, District 518’s Community Education Program Director for the past 28 years, retires Friday.

“This community has been fortunate to have Jerry Fiola as its community education director,” said Sharon Johnson, who will succeed him in the role effective Sunday. “He has provided consistent leadership over many years, and his talents have been well suited to developing a strong community education department.

“It’s very exciting to see how that program has grown, changed and flourished under Jerry.”

Johnson, a 1986 Worthington High School (WHS) graduate who went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at Northwestern College, a master’s degree in educational leadership at Southwest Minnesota State University and administrative licensure in community education through the University of St. Thomas, is planning to carry on the work her predecessor initiated.

“Moving into the Community Education director role will bring a variety of new challenges for me,” said Johnson. “I like the opportunity it brings to interact with many facets of the community and to collaborate with other organizations to promote education for all people living here.

“I think one of the strengths I will bring to the position is a knowledge about the different cultural groups in our area.”

Johnson’s eight years of experience as the Nobles County Integration Collaborative (NCIC) coordinator have, indeed, given her valuable insight into the unique and diverse cultural groups in Worthington and the surrounding area.

“Being NCIC coordinator has helped me grow both personally and professionally, as far as understanding the community and its needs — especially those related to diversity,” said Johnson.

Even as she prepares to follow Fiola, who is a 1967 WHS alumnus, Johnson will in turn be replaced by two 21st century WHS graduates —Lakeyta Potter, a 2003 WHS graduate, and Soom Chandaswang, who earned her WHS diploma in 2001.

Potter and Chandaswang will in essence divide the duties Johnson held over the past decade, with Potter moving from the job of NCIC Youth Initiative coordinator to Integration and Youth Development coordinator, while Chandaswang’s title will be Integration Program manager for the NCIC.

“I’ve worked at NCIC for two years, and I like using my skills and ability to help people who don’t speak English,” said Chandaswang.

Of Laotian descent, Chandaswang spent the first eight years of her life in a Thailand refugee camp before coming to the United States and encountering the same challenges of culture shock and language barriers with which the people she now serves struggle.

“Some of the Karen students I’ve worked with at Prairie Elementary and Worthington Middle School came from the very same refugee camp I did, so we have that connection, and I know exactly where they’re coming from,” said Chandaswang, who has a nursing degree from Minnesota West Community and Technical College and constantly encourages local students to appreciate the educational opportunities they have.

“In my new job, I will work with more of the different NCIC programs, including parent involvement and community and cultural awareness,” Chandaswang explained.

“Soom has great organizational skills and a passion for cultural integration,” Johnson said. “Lakeyta and Soom are both talented, capable individuals who will provide excellent leadership for NCIC in the future.”

Potter, a five-year NCIC employee, has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Va., and a master’s degree in school counseling from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Her specialty is direct service contact with secondary students, which she will continue to do, but she will add administrative duties to her responsibility list, as well.

“I’m very passionate about youth development and making sure youths have the resources they need to be successful, to plan their futures and to work through situations,” Potter said.

The NCIC got its start just more than a decade ago because of Worthington’s classification within the state as a “racially isolated district;” 70 percent of its funding is from the Minnesota Department of Education, and 30 percent is from its member districts, which include Adrian, Ellsworth, Fulda, Round Lake, Brewster and Worthington. Integration Aid funding is scheduled to be discussed in the Minnesota legislature next year.

District 518’s Community Education Program is decades older, although when Fiola took the reins 28 years ago, it had much more of a GED focus.

“Now Community Ed includes a very large Adult Basic Education (ABE) program, English as a Second Language classes, citizenship classes and some work-readiness classes, among others,” Johnson said.

Fiola is even more specific: In 1983-’84, there were 183 ABE participants and about four different classes; in 2011-’12, 1,034 people passed through the program in more than 25 classes, comprising more than 75,239 program contact hours.

For that reason, the ABE portion of Fiola’s position will now be handled by a yet-to-be-hired coordinator, with Johnson overseeing the remainder of the existing Community Education programs as well as the NCIC.

“Given Sharon’s background, we couldn’t have selected anyone better to accomplish a more seamless transition,” Fiola said. “Sharon was a partner with Community Ed in several different program initiatives, and with her understanding of and familiarity with Community Ed, I am very confident in the future.”

Chandaswang and Potter offer similar praise for Johnson.

“Sharon has been an awesome mentor,” Chandaswang said. “She has pushed me to go beyond what I thought I could do, and working with her and Lakeyta has been a very positive learning experience.”

Added Potter, “Sharon has been a huge inspiration in my life. She has mentored me in my professional development and trusted me to have the skills to do new things and to be a leader.

“I’m looking forward to starting this new career path and leading with her.”

While Johnson, Potter and Chandaswang prepare to tackle new duties and challenges, Fiola has more than enough on his plate in retirement to keep him from slowing down.

“I have work to do to finish up a historical interpretation grant for the Dayton House, I’m gearing up for the Turkey Day 10K race, which I help coordinate, and I have family to help care for and travel to do with my wife, Judy,” Fiola said.

Tags: worthington’s west learning center, news, changes