On Thursday, June 27, Dr. James Whitfield was named the principal of Heritage Middle School. Dr. Whitfield currently serves as an assistant principal at Colleyville Heritage High School.
“I am thrilled and honored to be selected as Principal of Heritage Middle School,” said Dr. Whitfield. “Heritage Middle is a special place with a rich history of excellence. I look to honor the legacy of our past by building relationships with the staff, students, and families of HMS to ensure we build upon the greatness that exists.”
Prior to joining GCISD, Dr. Whitfield was a leadership development strategist with The Filippen Group, which focuses on providing expert coaching and training to school districts, Fortune 500 companies, governments, sports teams and non-profits. He also served as the principal of Richland Middle School, assistant principal at North Ridge Middle School and spent seven years in the classroom as a world geography teacher at Richland High School.
In addition to inspiring students in the classroom, Dr. Whitfield also inspires educators and future leaders as a Ron Clark Academy Keynote Speaker. He also presents at national conferences, including the upcoming Get Your Teach On national conference at the Gaylord.
“Dr. Whitfield is an inspirational and transformational leader who focuses on creating a culture of passion and creativity for both students and staff,” said GCISD Superintendent Dr. Robin Ryan. “We are very excited to welcome Dr. Whitfield into this new role and know his commitment to servant leadership will benefit the entire Heritage community.”
He earned his bachelor's degree in social science and a masters degree in educational leadership from Southwestern Adventist University. In December 2018 he earned his doctoral degree in educational leadership from Dallas Baptist University.
The search for a new principal began when Scott Saettel became an assistant principal at Colleyville Heritage High School.