Ashland University grad Valerie Zeno named principal for a rural Ohio school district
Growing up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Valerie Zeno wanted a college experience different than the one she had at Normandy High School in Parma.
“When I visited AU, I saw an Amish buggy driving down the road and fell in love with the charm of Ashland,” Zeno said. “On my campus visit, everyone was welcoming and friendly, and it immediately felt like home.”
That “small-town” experience has played a big part in Zeno’s career, including accepting her most recent job in early June as principal of the middle and high school building for the rural New Riegel Local District, which is a little over an hour west of Ashland in between Tiffin, Fremont and Findlay.
“The New Riegel district has an amazing reputation,” Zeno said. “They are a small community and achieve great results with high standards.
“I am excited to help lead them,” Zeno added about the school district that has between 400 to 500 students in grades kindergarten to 12th grade located in New Riegel, which, according to the 2020 census, has a little less than 300 residents – a far cry from Normandy High School (more than 1,300 students in just grades 9-12) and Parma (population of about 81,000).
Zeno, who is now the assistant director of Vanguard-Sentinel Career and Technology Center in Fremont, will officially start her new job on July 17.
“We are excited to have Zeno selected as our next principal to lead our staff and students,” New Riegel Superintendent David Rombach said in a news release. “Ms. Zeno brings building leadership experiences from the well-respected Vanguard-Sentinel, and we feel very fortunate at New Riegel Local Schools to have her as part of the Blue Jacket team.”
While Zeno started AU as an education major, she graduated in 2001 with a communication studies major and marketing minor as she didn’t feel that teaching was for her shortly after starting college.
“My path to education wasn’t the traditional one,” Zeno said. “It took me 13 years to come full circle and come back to education. I began teaching culinary arts and hospitality management classes at a career center, and then obtained a master’s degree in adult workforce development and career technical education, and then obtained my administrative license from AU.”
Before earning her building principal license from AU in 2018, Zeno worked in Auxiliary Services at Ashland, followed by getting back into education as a teacher at the career center in Tiffin.
Even though she didn’t graduate from AU with an education degree, Zeno said a lot of what she learned at Ashland University has been important on her career path to New Riegel.
“AU helped shape my communication skills and my leadership skills,” she said. “Having the leadership in sorority, and all of my activities, helped me to understand people of different backgrounds than mine and how to respect differences. All of my classes had real-world components, which helped me to apply those skills.”
Getting involved in Greek Life and taking on leadership roles through that at AU was where Zeno said she really found her voice and confidence. She also was a leader with CAB, O-Team and Student Senate on campus.
Deleasa Randall-Griffiths, professor of communication studies at AU, said she always enjoyed seeing Zeno on campus as a student and Auxiliary Services employee because her “enthusiasm was infectious.”
“She will be an amazing administrator,” Randall-Griffiths said. “Valerie was always organized and on top of things. Her academic work was exceptionally strong. She was motivated and energizing in and out of the classroom. Her interpersonal skills are very strong. I would imagine she will relate well with everyone – students, parents and teachers. They are so lucky to have her.”
Because professors like Randall-Griffiths and staff members on campus took time to get to know her and were always helpful, Zeno said the “Accent on the Individual” motto truly shaped her college experience and really helped her become the person she is today.