A New C.E.O. at Nevada State High School
After an extensive search and comprehensive interview process, Nevada State High School (NSHS) selected a new Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jesse Welsh, to take over the position starting Spring 2021. The final decision was made by the Nevada State High School Governing Body at a Public Meeting hosted on Thursday January 14th, 2021. Dr. Jesse Welsh graciously accepted the offer, and will replace Dr. Wendi Hawk, the school’s passionate Founder & CEO, starting Tuesday January 19th in preparation for Dr. Hawk’s retirement this year.
Celebrating Dr. Wendi Hawk
Starting as Chief Academic Officer in 2004, Dr. Wendi Hawk and six founding members created NSHS to provide motivated high school students with a choice in their education. Seventeen years, 8 campuses, and over 2,000 graduates later, Dr. Hawk is retiring as Chief Executive Officer. For nearly two decades, Nevada State High School has thrived under Dr. Hawks leadership. Her passion for kids and quality education fuels Nevada State High School’s mission: to support students in a college environment with personal, academic, and social skills
“Dr. Wendi Hawk, as a leader and CEO, has been an inspiration to me over the last 16 years. I have witnessed her ability to take an idea to create a school, where students had a choice in their education, and turn it into the reality of 8 NSHS campuses. Her passion for our students and their success is what is so impressive about Dr. Wendi Hawk.”
-Judy Gugino, Founding Member of NSHS & Teacher Mentor
We celebrate Dr. Wendi Hawk’s 25 years of educational service to kids and her community.
Dr. Hawk will continue to provide mentorship to Welsh throughout the Spring 2021 term to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.
Meet Dr. Jesse Welsh – The New CEO of Nevada State High School
Dr. Welsh has served over 24 years in the world of K-12 education. He entered the field as a math and Spanish teacher after earning a B.A. for Secondary Mathematics Education from Ithaca College. Since, he has earned his D.Ed. and M.Ed. in K-12 Educational Leadership from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dr. Welsh also received an Executive Certificate in Educational Leadership and Management from the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University and participated in the Institute for Superintendents and District Leaders and Public Education Leadership Project at Harvard University.
During his career, Dr. Welsh served in many roles. His most recent position was Superintendent of the Paradise Valley Unified School District in Phoenix, Arizona, overseeing all operations of the 30,000-student district. Prior to that, Dr. Welsh spent 20 years working in the Clark County School District (CCSD). He served as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Professional Development, overseeing curriculum and support for mathematics, English Language Arts, and other core content areas as well as career and technical education, magnet schools, guidance and counseling, athletics and activities, and leadership development. He also served as Assistant Superintendent for Assessment, Accountability, Research, and School Improvement, providing support to schools in utilizing summative and formative assessment data to drive instruction, school accountability reporting, and assisting with school improvement and monitoring processes. During his tenure in CCSD, Welsh also worked regularly with the Nevada Department of Education regarding school improvement initiatives, accountability, and curriculum.
“Dr. Welsh will be an exciting addition to NSHS. His experience in the classroom and at the administrative level will be an asset to our program. He has experience with online learning, dual credit programs, and how to get student college and career ready. I believe Dr. Welsh will continue our success as a leading dual credit school and will help us grow to give more students the opportunity to be NSHS students.”
Congratulations Dr. Jesse Welsh. We are excited to welcome you to the Nevada State High School Renegade family!