Alum Named California's Middle Grades Principal of the Year

Mr. Kelly Richers '74, Principal of Thomas Jefferson Middle School, has been named the 2009 California State Middle Grades Principal of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). Established in 1971, ACSA represents over 16,000 school administrators throughout California focusing on school leadership and education policy at the local, state and federal levels.
     
Mr. Richers has been a school administrator with WUSD for 17 years. He has been previously honored by ACSA in 1997 & 2002 as West Kern and Region XI Co-Administrator of the Year. He has served as an officer with the local ACSA Charter, most recently President from 2007-2008.
    
Mr. Richers is very involved in the study of the order Lepidoptera (butterflies & moths). Recently, a moth he discovered two years ago at Montana de Oro State Park in Los Osos, California, was named after him (Sympistis richersi). He is the recipient of the John Adams Comstock Award for Research by the Lepidopterists’ Society and serves as the Assistant Managing Director for The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, dedicated to publishing reference volumes about the moths of America and Mexico for researchers and future reference.
    
A 1974 graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science in Health, Physical Education & Recreation, Mr. Richers earned a varsity letter for wrestling and is a Varsity S Club alumnus. He was a member of Acacia Fraternity., as well as being a graduate of State College High School in Pennsylvania.  He received his Masters in Education Administration from California State University, Bakersfield in 1992.
    
Mr. Richers is married with one daughter in college.

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