School Divisions Hire Communication Specialist
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Covington, VA (Feb. 7, 2022) - Darrell Gleason has been named communication specialist for Alleghany County and Covington City Schools. The appointment was approved on December 13, 2021, by both school boards.
The position is being funded for three academic years through a $313,543 grant from the Alleghany Foundation. Mr. Gleason assumed the role on January 3.
He will serve both school divisions until they merge on July 1, 2022, to create Alleghany Highlands Public Schools. He will continue his service with AHPS for the duration of the grant. The merger is being undertaken to pool resources for Alleghany County and the City of Covington and expand educational opportunities for students.
In his job as communication specialist, Mr. Gleason is tasked with providing clear information about the consolidated school division and help stakeholders, including families and employees, know more about division operations.
Prior to joining the two school divisions, Mr. Gleason worked for more than 30 years at the Virginian Review, primarily covering issues involving local governments and public education. He also helped cover sporting events, as well as wrote feature stories about people, businesses, and organizations in the Alleghany Highlands. He had served as editor of the newspaper since May 2021.
On May 17, 2021, the Alleghany County School Board approved a resolution of appreciation for Mr. Gleason that recognized his coverage of school board meetings and his efforts to keep the community well informed. He was also named to the Virginia School Boards Association’s News Media Honor Roll on several occasions for his reporting on public education in Alleghany County and Covington.
“We know there are great things ahead for the Alleghany Highlands, and we are so pleased to have Mr. Gleason’s skills and knowledge base of the area supporting our team,” said Alleghany County Superintendent Kim Halterman.
“We are very excited about the possibilities with Mr. Gleason's addition to our school divisions. We appreciate the Alleghany Foundation's grant funding of this position to provide up-to-date information for our stakeholders,” said Covington City Schools Superintendent Melinda-Snead Johnson.
A graduate of Covington High School, Mr. Gleason holds an associate’s degree from Dabney S. Lancaster Community College and a bachelor’s degree from Radford University.
He is married to the former Teresa Broughman, who is a lifelong resident of the Highlands. Mr. Gleason is a member of Fincastle Baptist Church’s Highlands Campus in Covington, where he has served as a deacon and an adult Connect Group leader. He also teaches children at the campus’ Wednesday night Kids Club.
He can be reached by phone at (540) 960-2086 or email at dgleason@alleghany.k12.va.us or dgleason@covington.k12.va.us.
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