2025-2026 Administrative Promotions, New Hires, and Changes 

At the July 16, 2025, meeting of the School Board, the Hampton School Board approved the following administrative appointments, effective immediately:

Elementary ELA Curriculum Leader

Mary Hollifield has been promoted to the division’s elementary English language arts (ELA) curriculum leader. 

Hollifield has served as an English language arts teacher specialist since July 2022. She began her career with Hampton City Schools in 2006 as an elementary teacher at Mallory and later at Bassette Elementary. In 2013, she transitioned into the role of literacy coach and support specialist, where she spent eight years coaching educators across Title I schools.

She earned her bachelor’s in elementary education from Lee University and her master’s in curriculum and instruction with a K-12 reading specialist endorsement from the University of Virginia.

Interim Coordinator of Psychological Services 

 

Angie Rabie has been promoted to interim coordinator of psychological services. 

 

Rabie began her career in education with Hampton City Schools more than 28 years ago, starting as an instructional assistant at Aberdeen Elementary to Cooper Elementary Magnet School for Technology, and then a teacher at Merrimack Elementary. In 2000, she transitioned out of public education to become co-owner and CEO of Kidz SOLutions, LLC. She returned to Hampton City Schools in 2007 and has since held several impactful roles, including Title I parent involvement facilitator, family engagement specialist, special education case manager, and, most recently, school psychologist and the division’s threat assessment lead.

 

She earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood psychology with a minor in elementary education from Christopher Newport University, followed by a master’s degree in school psychology from Fort Hays State University. She went on to complete her Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in school psychology, also from Fort Hays State. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at Liberty University.

Principals

 

Dr. Heidi Brezinski has been promoted to serve as the principal of Jones Magnet Middle School.

 

Dr. Brezinski has been principal of Burbank Elementary for the past four years. Prior to that, she led John B. Cary Elementary School (now Christian Elementary) as principal for eight years. Her leadership experience also includes time as principal of Phillips Elementary and as assistant principal at both Kraft Elementary and Mary Peake Gifted Center. A proud graduate of Hampton City Schools, Dr. Brezinski began her teaching career in 2002, working with elementary students at Cary and Phillips Elementary Schools.

 

She received a bachelor’s in psychology from George Mason University and her master’s in teaching from Christopher Newport University. She continued to further her education and earned her educational leadership administration degree from The George Washington University and her doctorate in educational leadership from Old Dominion University.

Rasan Holmes has been promoted to serve as the next principal of Burbank Elementary.

 

Holmes is no stranger to Burbank, having spent the past year as their assistant principal. Before joining the Burbank team, he was the assistant principal at Langley Elementary School for two years. Prior to that, he taught music at Phillips Elementary beginning in 2017. Earlier in his career, he led the band program at Lindsay Middle School and also served as an assistant professor at Hampton University.

 

He has his bachelor’s and master’s in education from Hampton University and was a member of the HCS ODU Leadership Cohort earning his ED. S. in educational leadership from Old Dominion University.

Dr. Jarad Munroe has been promoted to serve as the principal of Eaton Fundamental Middle School.

 

Dr. Munroe has been the principal of Phillips Elementary School for the past school year. He began his career in education in 2011 with Richmond Public Schools as a middle school social studies teacher. He later worked in Norfolk Public Schools as both a social studies teacher and dean of students. In 2020, Dr. Munroe joined Hampton City Schools as an assistant principal at Andrews PreK-8 School.

He earned a bachelor’s in social studies with a minor in secondary education from Virginia State University. He earned both a master’s and doctorate in educational leadership from Old Dominion University.

Mallary Reynolds has been promoted to serve as the next principal of Cooper Elementary Magnet School for Technology.

 

Reynolds has been an assistant principal at Aberdeen Elementary School for the past two years. She began her career in education as a fifth grade teacher, working with students at Bryan Elementary, Langley Elementary, and Mary T. Christian Elementary. In addition to her work in education, she proudly served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2016.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Armstrong Atlantic State University and her master’s in educational leadership from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. 

Coordinator of Early Childhood Education

 

Mallory Hinshaw has been promoted to coordinator of early childhood education and will support the students and staff at Moton Early Childhood Center.

 

Hinshaw most recently served as assistant principal at Phillips Elementary School, following her prior role as assistant principal at Phenix PreK-8 School. She began her educational career in Bloomington, Illinois, teaching middle school science and English. Hinshaw joined Hampton City Schools in 2010 as a teacher at Tucker-Capps Fundamental Elementary School (now Jackson Elementary), where she taught fourth and fifth grades for five years. She then transitioned to Eaton Fundamental Middle School, where she taught eighth-grade science for six years.

 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Bradley University and a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Lamar University. Additionally, she earned professional certification in elementary education with endorsements in middle school science and English, along with certification in supervision and administration from Lamar.

Assistant Principals

Jennifer Carter has been promoted to the position of an elementary assistant principal, school placement to be determined.

Carter joins Hampton City Schools from Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools, where she has spent the past four years as an elementary teacher. Before her time with WJCC, she also served in elementary teaching roles with Alexandria City Public Schools, Harrisonburg City Public Schools, and Prince William County Public Schools.

She earned a bachelor’s in liberal studies with an endorsement in elementary education (PreK-6) from Longwood University and then her master’s in educational leadership from Old Dominion University. 

 

Dr. Tonita Dozier has been promoted to the position of an elementary assistant principal, school placement to be determined.

Dozier joins Hampton City Schools from Williamsburg-James City County Schools, where she served as a media specialist for over three years and also taught English. Her diverse professional background includes roles as a media specialist, teacher, instructional coach, and testing coordinator at Friendship Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. Metro Area. She has also served as an English professor at the University of the District of Columbia and worked as a supervisory media specialist and teacher with District of Columbia Public Schools. In addition to her work in education, Dozier is currently a senior project coordinator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Her experience with the Smithsonian Institution also includes roles as a museum educator and communications assistant. Beyond education and museum work, she has held positions as a political news producer for PBS, BET, and CNN.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and media studies from North Carolina State University, a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Maryland, and a master’s degree in English Language Arts from East Carolina University. She continued her educational journey by earning a doctorate in religious education and counseling from Eastern Carolina Christian College and Seminary.

Sarah Hammond has been promoted to the role of an elementary assistant principal, school placement to be determined. 

 

Hammond began her career in education with Hampton City Schools as a special education teacher and has spent the past ten years serving students at Forrest Elementary School. Throughout her time at Forrest, she has also taken on several leadership roles, including 21st Century Coordinator, instructional leader, member of the school leadership team, and climate and culture coach.

 

She earned a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Virginia Commonwealth University, a master’s in special education (K-12) from Liberty University, and was a member of the HCS ODU Leadership Cohort earning her ED. S. in educational leadership from Old Dominion University.

Alexis Jones has been promoted to the position of an elementary assistant principal, school placement to be determined.

Jones joined Hampton City Schools in 2018, serving as both a third- and fifth-grade teacher at Bassette Elementary School. In 2022, she took on the role of 21st Century Program Coordinator at Bassette. Over the past year, she has served as an instructional design specialist in the Department of Innovation and Digital Learning.

She earned her bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in elementary education from Virginia State University and her master’s in educational leadership from Old Dominion University. 

Nicole Lewis will be serving in the role as an elementary assistant principal, school placement to be determined.

Lewis began her educational career in 2009 as a teacher with Hampton City Schools, serving first at Mary T. Christian Elementary, then Bryan Elementary, and ten  years at Forrest Elementary. She has spent the past two years as an English Language Learners teacher. Additionally, she served as a Climate and Culture coach at Forrest and for English Language Learners. 

She earned her bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in history as well as her master’s in elementary education both from Old Dominion University. She then earned her educational leadership post-master’s certificate in administration and supervision from Virginia Commonwealth University. 

Jillian Rinaldi has been promoted to the position of an elementary assistant principal, school placement to be determined.

Rinaldi is joining Hampton City Schools from Newport News Public Schools. She began her teaching career in 2015 as a high school English teacher. For the past three years, she has served as an English department lead teacher.  

She earned her bachelor’s in English from Hampton University and her master’s in education with a concentration in administration and supervision from Old Dominion University. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Regent University.

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Principal Change

 

Dr. Shanté Oniyide will serve Mary T. Christian Elementary School as their principal.

Dr. Oniyide has spent the past three years serving as principal of Bryan Elementary School. Before that, she was the assistant principal at Peake Elementary for four years and at Bassette Elementary for one year. Her earlier experience includes roles as a special education teacher at Booker (now Patrick) Elementary, in Smithfield, and in Brooklyn, New York, where she also taught middle school English.

 

She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from Syracuse University and a master’s in science education from Hunter College. Additionally, she earned both her ED. S. in educational leadership and administration and her doctorate in education from The George Washington University.

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At the June 4, 2025, meeting of the School Board, the Hampton School Board approved the following administrative appointments, effective July 1, 2025:

New Principal

Michael Kelly has been promoted to the role of elementary principal. He will serve Phillips Elementary School. 

Kelly has served as the assistant principal at Cooper Elementary Magnet School for Technology for the past two years. He previously held assistant principal roles at both Kraft Elementary and Asbury Elementary. He joined Hampton City Schools as a special education teacher at Smith Elementary and began his career in Fairfax County Public Schools. His diverse experience also includes serving as a school improvement grant instructional coach in St. Louis, an assistant principal in Illinois, and an elementary principal in California. Additionally, he served in the United States Marine Corps.

He earned his bachelor’s in music education at the State University of New York and his master’s in special education as well as a master’s in educational leadership at George Mason University.

New Assistant Director

 

Sharon Slater, has been promoted to an assistant director of human resources.

 

Slater has served as principal of Jones Magnet Middle School since the 2018–2019 school year. Prior to her leadership at Jones, she was principal at Eaton Fundamental Middle School and also held the principal position at Syms Middle School. Her previous roles include assistant principal at both Eaton Fundamental and Phenix PreK–8 School, as well as special education teacher at Bethel High School. Before entering the field of education, Slater spent nine years working in rehabilitation services.

 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Christopher Newport University, a master’s in rehabilitation counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a master’s in educational leadership from Old Dominion University.

 

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At the May 21, 2025, meeting of the School Board, the Hampton School Board approved the following administrative appointment, effective July 1, 2025:

New Assistant Director

 

Sarah Newsome is rejoining Hampton City Schools (HCS) as an assistant director of human resources.

 

Newsome previously served HCS as a human resources recruiter from 2018 to 2020. Over the past five years, she has held roles as a human resources administrator and staffing and recruitment administrator with Chesapeake Public Schools. Her experience also includes leadership positions in higher education, having served as a director at Dominion School of Hair Design and as a program director at both Virginia College and Vista College in Lubbock, Texas.

 

She holds a bachelor’s in business administration from Old Dominion University and a master’s in curriculum and instruction from Regent University.

 

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At the May 7, 2025, meeting of the School Board, the Hampton School Board approved the following administrative promotions, effective July 1, 2025:

New Assistant Director

April Fry has been promoted to assistant director for the department of special education. 

 

Fry began her career in education in 2004 with a neighboring school division and joined Hampton City Schools in 2007 as a special education teacher at Barron Fundamental Elementary School. She later collaborated with Head Start to help pilot a joint program with HCS. In 2015, Fry transitioned into the role of special education instructional coach and was subsequently promoted to special education coordinator. After a brief departure from Hampton City Schools, she returned in 2024 to resume her role as a special education coordinator.

 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in school-age care from Concordia University, St. Paul; a master’s degree in education from Old Dominion University; and a post-master’s certificate in educational leadership and administration from The George Washington University. 

New Principals

Marye Branchling is returning to Hampton City Schools as an elementary principal. She will serve Smith Elementary School. 

Branchling has served the past two years as an elementary principal for Portsmouth Public Schools. Before her time in Portsmouth, Branchling served as the principal at Machen Elementary (one year), the principal of Asbury Elementary School (five years), and as an assistant principal at Phenix PreK-8 School. Prior to Hampton, she was an instructional math coach and math teacher in Norfolk Public Schools and a math intervention teacher in Toledo, Ohio.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in middle childhood education from Lourdes College and her master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Virginia.

 

Damien Collins has been promoted to the role of elementary principal. He will serve Bryan Elementary School.

 

Collins joined Hampton City Schools in 2021 as a special education teacher and case manager at Mary S. Peake Elementary School. In 2022, he was promoted to academy principal at Hampton High School, where he has spent the past three years as a valued member of the Crabber family, overseeing the International Baccalaureate Academy, the Virginia Ship Repair Association Maritime Academy, and the Academy of Technology and Engineering (2022-2023).

 

Prior to his time with HCS, he served for six years as a special education teacher at Rivermont School in Hampton.

 

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, a collegiate professional license in special education from Old Dominion University, and a master’s degree in urban education and administrative supervision from Norfolk State University.

New Assistant Principals

 

Llewchean (Llew) Radford will be joining Hampton City Schools as an academy principal at Kecoughtan High School.

 

Radford has been a high school mathematics teacher at Heritage High School in Newport News since 2016, where he has also served as lead mathematics teacher for the past three years. Prior to his time with Newport News Public Schools, he spent five years as a special education teacher at Rivermont Private Day School in Hampton and one year as a mental health counselor at the Rivermont Alternative School. In addition to his work in education, Radford has held various coaching roles, including varsity girls soccer, varsity boys volleyball, and varsity boys basketball.

 

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in accounting, both from Wagner College, and earned his Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree from Old Dominion University.

 

Travis Riddick has been promoted to the role of academy principal at Hampton High School.

Riddick has served as a dean at Phoebus High School since 2023. Before that, he spent eight years at Syms Middle School—four years as an eighth-grade math teacher and four years as a middle school science teacher. During his time at Syms, he also held key leadership roles, including serving as the 21st Century Program Coordinator for three years and as a Climate and Culture Coach for two years.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in middle school education from Bob Jones University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Regent University.