MBS adds 3 administrators

The Mountain Brook school system has added three new administrators for the 2019-20 academic year. Christy Christian will be the principal at Crestline Elementary School, Suzan Brandt will be the district’s director of technology and Tricia Neura will be the district’s director of child nutrition services.

All three have accomplished a lot in their careers and share strong visions for their new roles. 

CHRISTY CHRISTIAN

Christian has worked at Brookwood Forest Elementary for the past 17 years. In that span, she has served as a teacher, reading coach and assistant principal. 

She now replaces Laurie King, who spent the past nine years as Crestline’s principal. 

“I’m prepared to be a servant,” Christian said. “I feel like you can’t be present if you’re not serving. You can’t have a vision and anticipate the needs of an organization without serving.”  

Christian grew up in Birmingham and attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts. After graduation, she went to Converse College in South Carolina and has since earned a pair of advanced education degrees from Samford University. 

Christian said she always knew that she wanted to be a teacher but did not foresee becoming a principal.

“I’m real excited and honored just to be here,” Christian said. “I’m grateful to God because I feel like He opened this door.”

According to a press release announcing Christian’s hire, she has worked closely with instructional coaches to plan district-wide professional development opportunities and helped organize new teacher orientation, along with the Mountain Brook Summer Literacy Conference. 

Mountain Brook Schools Superintendent Dicky Barlow praised Christian’s past work and promotion. 

“She assisted in fostering an atmosphere conducive to learning, analyzed student performance data as a basis for curriculum improvement and staff development needs and developed and implemented family and community involvement programs and business partnerships,” Barlow said in the press release. 

In her new role, Christian said that her main objective will be to support staff, students and parents. She will aim to continue the good work that has been done at Crestline while moving the school forward. 

Ultimately, she said she wants all members of the school community to be “cougar strong,” a nod to Crestline’s mascot. 

“I want teachers and staff members coming to school happy to work and kids that want to come to school,” Christian said. 

SUZAN BRANDT

Brandt has worked for the past 10 years as a local school technology coordinator at Mountain Brook Junior High. Before that, she spent nine years as an instructional technology specialist in Hoover City Schools.

She now replaces Donna Williamson, the MBS director of technology for the past 25 years. 

“I feel just very fortunate that I was able to work in the department where I’ll be the director and under such a strong leader as Donna Williamson,” Brandt said. “She really worked to prepare the local school coordinators to really carry out the mission at the local school level from the district.”

According to a press release announcing her hire, Brandt collaborated with MBJH administrators in her most recent role to fulfill the school’s mission, vision and goals. She also has worked with the school system’s technology, served on several technology committees and organized the TEDxYouth event at the junior high, where she co-sponsored the TED-Ed Club. 

Barlow said in the press release that Brandt has been a leader since her first day in Mountain Brook. 

“From overseeing local technology projects to providing valuable input to the overall planning for the District, Mrs. Brandt has excelled and always put the needs of our community first,” Barlow said. “Under Mrs. Brandt’s leadership, Mountain Brook Schools will continue to experience exciting, innovative technology initiatives that will benefit our students, staff and community.” 

Brandt attended Auburn University and obtained a master’s in special education from UAB. She resides in Mountain Brook with her husband, John, and their children, Virginia Kate and Jack. In her new position, Suzan Brandt said she wants to continue carrying out the technology department’s vision. The department juggles myriad responsibilities, including making user accounts, maintaining servers, ensuring data protection and promoting good digital citizenship.

“What’s so important about the department of technology is that we really do touch every facet of the school system,” Brandt said. 

TRICIA NEURA

Neura is a registered dietitian and spent the past six years as the assistant director of child nutrition for Hoover City Schools. Her responsibilities included planning menus for the school system, managing food allergies, training employees and marketing, among other things. According to a press release announcing her hire as Mountain Brook’s director of child nutrition services, Neura helped several Hoover schools garner recognition through the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

She also previously worked as a clinical nutritionist at Children’s of Alabama.

“I feel very prepared to work in this role and serve this community,” she said of her new position. 

In Mountain Brook, Neura will be in charge of nutrition and wellness for the school system. Part of her job will involve developing menus that appeal to students. She said she wants to introduce new recipes, increase nutrition promotions and enhance collaboration.

“I’m just going to pick up where the previous director, Pam Stembridge, left off,” Neura said. 

Neura ran cross-country and track and field at the University of Alabama, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition. She also has a master’s in public health from the University of South Carolina. Neura and her husband, Nick, along with their two children, Payton and Nathan, reside in Hoover. She said she is looking forward to her new position. 

“I’m very humbled to be a part of the community,” she said. “I’m grateful for this opportunity.”