Brandon Penrod

WARSAW — During the monthly regular meeting of the school board Monday, May 16, members of the Warsaw Community Schools Board of Trustees approved the appointment of two administrative staff members.

Brandon Penrod will join Warsaw Community Schools as chief financial officer and Ben Barkey will now serve as assistant principal at Warsaw Community High School.

Penrod graduated from Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne with both a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in education administration. He continued his education at Indiana University to receive his education specialist degree and a Ph.D. in educational leadership.

Ben Barkey

Boasting a variety of experiences in educational leadership, Penrod has worked since 2001 in the education field as athletic director of Prairie Heights High School and Garrett High School, science teacher at Indian Springs Middle School, business manager/treasurer at Northern Wells Community Schools, assistant principal of Manchester Intermediate School, Manchester Junior/Senior High School and business manager of Freemont Community Schools.

“We are very excited to have Brandon joining our executive cabinet as our chief financial officer,” noted WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert. “His experience in the school of finance world will be a great asset to Warsaw Community Schools as we continue our commitment to strong financial stewardship.”

From the classroom and beyond, Barkey has served WCS through a variety of positions, including instructing science and math at Edgewood Middle School, coaching men’s golf, working as the lead facilitator in STEM education at Washington and working as interim assistant principal at Warsaw Community High School.

Recently, Barkey was selected as the Air Force Association Indiana Teacher of the Year and has been nominated to receive the national award as well. Barkey received his bachelor’s degree in biology and education endorsement and his master’s degree in education from Ball State University. He resides with his wife, Dani, and their two children in Warsaw.

“Ben Barkey will be moving into the assistant principal position at Warsaw Community Schools following a wealth of experiences as a middle school teacher, instructional coach and leader in STEM education,” stated Hoffert. “His strong academic background will serve as a great compliment to Warsaw Community High School. Ben is a life-long resident of the Warsaw community and we are thrilled to watch his advancement in education continue to impact the students of our schools.”