PENDLETON — The newest member of the South Madison Community Schools Corp. Board of Trustees brings 40-plus years of experience in education to the panel.

At the March 5 board meeting, Mike Hanna was nominated and approved to take the Fall Creek Township seat that became open with the resignation of Mark Brizendine, who is moving out of the township.

Brizendine’s resignation was accepted at the Feb. 6 meeting.

Hanna, 74, who graduated from Pendleton High School in 1963, began his work in education as a teacher for Hamilton Heights Schools in 1967. He taught there for five years before becoming a teacher for Anderson Community Schools.

In 1979, he started his career in administration, beginning at Community School Corp. of Eastern Hancock County. He later worked for Morton Memorial Schools in Knightstown, before going to New Palestine High School, where he retired in 2006.

Since retirement he has taken interim administrative positions at Mt. Vernon Schools, SENSE Charter School and most recently as a principal at Pendleton Heights High School from August to December in 2012.

“I’m 74 years old and have lived in Pendleton for (more than 60) years, and this is an opportunity to give back,” Hanna said. “I know the people on the board and in the school corporation, and it’s all positive.”

As a student-athlete at Pendleton High School, Hanna won the Indiana High School Athletic Association pole vault championship in 1963, his senior season, and was the first Indiana high school athlete to clear 14-feet.

He went on to compete at Indiana State University, where he won a national championship and was the first Indiana collegian to vault both 15-feet and 16-feet.

“I think the board felt as though he had quite a bit of experience, and he’s very active in the community,” board president Chris Boots said. “He has filled in at the high school when one of our administrators was off and he has shown great interest.”

Boots said Hanna had applied before. There were four applicants received to fill the Fall Creek vacancy.

Appointed to the board, Hanna will need to run for election this fall to retain the seat on the board.

His first meeting will be April 6.

Personnel report

The board also:

• Approved the retirement request from East Elementary School custodian Debbie Knapp. Besides being a school employee, Knapp is an artist who has painted murals prominently displayed in area public buildings, including in schools throughout the district

• Accepted resignations from support staff Ashley Millwee, an instructional assistant at East Elementary School, and Lisa Jordan, a study hall supervisor at Pendleton Heights High School

• Approved the recommendation to hire Kylie DeVault as a special education instructional assistant at Pendleton Elementary Intermediate School

• Approved the resignation of Patty Hinton, Best Buddies, Pendleton Heights High School

Trips approved

The board gave the OK for two trip requests from Pendleton Heights High School.

The school choir plans to attend the FAME National Finals from April 24 to 26 in Branson, Missouri, and the Outdoor Adventure Club plans to go speklunking at Marengo Cave in southern Indiana from March 27 to 28.

Academic Spotlight

At the Feb. 20 board meeting, as part of the Academic Spotlight Awards, Pendleton Heights High School Principal Connie Rickert recognized students for representing the district’s core values of serving others and character.

Recognized for Character Counts Awards were: Abigail Jacobs — responsibility; Anna Childers — trustworthiness; Cade Campbell — caring; Iziah Schill — respect; Kamden Earley — citizenship and Quinn Miles — fairness.

The school’s Above and Beyond Award went to secretary Joyce Daugherty and the Community Partnership Award went to Swackhamer Masonry and Concrete.