by Joan Singley Schrysen
It started in April, 2017 when then Superintendent Tom Russell appeared at DeLand High School. Mitch Moyer had been the much respected principal there for 20 years and expected to serve there until his retirement. Russell had different ideas. “I’m going to move you. I need you in the Transportation Department.” Mitch knew he would be a new guy going into turmoil not really one per-son’s fault. He prayed, “Lord, You know what’s there, the history and spirits of contention,” yet he had peace knowing that God does miraculous things. Transportation is a great unknown to most educa-tors. Like so many, Mitch knew they delivered the students in the morning and picked them up in the after-noon. But it’s much more than that—very intricate, very complicated. There are four terminals, over 500 employees, and over 200 bus routes. It is said to take five years to fully understand all the nuances. Mitch feels he was set up for success by having three new assistant di-rectors. He knew the focus needed to be on the people who worked there, so each day as the drivers gather in the lounge before or after their runs, Mitch is there, too. “I just go back and sit and listen and talk and laugh and connect.” To further enhance communication Mitch puts out a phone message every Friday evening, an update of the week. Like a life coach, he includes Christian principles such as how to treat one another or how to pursue greatness in life. The messages are well received; many report gathering the whole family to listen. “Work should be fun,” Mitch says, so he builds that into the routine. At the be-ginning of the year when all 500 employees gather for a day of in-service, a team picture is taken. Mitch keeps this picture on his phone and tells people, “Each morning when I pray, I lift the whole department to the Lord.” At the end of the year there is a celebration. Last year’s theme was the Blues Brothers, and there were skits and costumes and lots of fun. The biggest challenge of this job? “To elevate the people in the roles and services we play, both in the eyes of the schools and the public.” To do this, Mitch has taken to Twitter. He tweets what is going on and highlights employees. Each month four are chosen by the leadership team for special recognition: two bus drivers, one at-tendant, and one from the support staff. Commenting on Transportation’s abrupt u-turn, Mitch says, “We changed so much in such a short time. That’s not usually the right thing to do, but it was so ready. So we did it!” Always aware of the Lord’s part in all this, he adds, “I know that what I ac-complish, what people see, all takes place in the quietness of prayer.”
MITCH MOYER and his wife Beth have been married 41 years and have a grown son and daughter. Born in Pittsburgh, PA his family moved to DeLand in the early ‘60’s, so Mitch is a product of the Volusia schools.