Three RSD Principals with a Combined 108 Years of Experience Pass Responsibility to Next Elementary Leaders

By Holly Brown, Redmond School District public information officer

REDMOND, Ore.-Three long-time educators are moving into new chapters of their lives at the end of this school year, leaving behind their legacies at Redmond School District. M.A. Lynch Elementary Principal Rayna Nordstrom and Sage Elementary Principal Carolyn Espinosa are retiring from RSD, and Vern Patrick Elementary Principal Jennifer Hesse has accepted a new position out of state. The district is pleased to announce that candidates have been selected to fill all three positions and will begin July 1, 2023. 

Principal Nordstrom has impacted many lives in the Redmond community. She has spent her entire 33-year career at the Redmond School District with the past eight years as the principal at M.A. Lynch.

“As a principal, I have loved being a part of the growth our students have made, both academically and behaviorally,” said Nordstrom. “Lynch Cubs are the best! I have also cherished the opportunity to work with such a hard working, professional, caring team. I will miss the students, families and the staff.” 

Nordstrom said she hopes for a smooth transition from her leadership to Mr. Chris Wyland, who will be moving in as the new principal at M.A. Lynch. Wyland has been the Madras Elementary Principal for the past five years, where he focused on fostering team culture and unity, and implemented a framework for students to succeed in meeting grade-level essential standards. Wyland has also served the educational community as an assistant principal, an athletic director, dean of students, and history teacher over the past 15 years.

Principal Espinosa has also had a great impact on the Redmond community. She has spent 16 years of her 50-year education career in the district and she is the only principal Sage has ever known. 

As a principal, Espinosa said she has enjoyed “working with dedicated, passionate, and professional educators – who give endlessly to provide each and every student with a nurturing and high quality learning environment, in which all students can be their best selves and become responsible and respectful citizens for the world.” 

Espinosa passes the Sage principal baton to Colleen Chamberlain, and hopes the school will continue to live by their mission statement of “Whatever It Takes, for Every Child, Every Day.” 

Chamberlain has been the Student Services Coordinator at Sage for the past eight years, where she has been focused on creating a positive school culture. She has been a leader to students with multi-tiered educational services that foster academic support. She has also served the staff as a coordinator and instructional leader and has spent 27 years as a teacher leader in public education. 

After eight years as the Vern Patrick Elementary principal, Jennifer Hesse is moving back to Colorado to continue her 25-year education career as an elementary principal. Principal Hesse said she has enjoyed “the incredible students, staff, and families that are part of the Vern Patrick community.” She hopes the traditions and school pride will continue after she leaves. 

“Vern Patrick is a great community and I have no doubt it will continue to be a great place for the students of Redmond. I will so miss these kids!” Hesse said. 

Doug Taylor, a Vern Patrick alumnus and current assistant principal and athletic director at Redmond High School, will be the new principal at Vern Patrick. Taylor has been with the RSD team since 2014, where he began as a teacher at Elton Gregory Middle School. As a building administrator, Doug focused on student management, allowing teachers to focus on engaging instructional practices. 

“The change in leadership at our elementaries is bittersweet. The exceptional educators and leaders who have served our schools will be missed. They have meant more than can be expressed to our students, district, and community,” said Dr. Charan Cline, RSD superintendent. “However, the incoming principals bring valuable experience, and two of those leaders are receiving well-deserved promotions within the district. I am confident that they will continue to build strong relationships with the staff and communities they will serve.”