| By Rachel Brandes Moapa Valley Progress Submitted July 2, 2008
Mack Lyon Middle School Assistant Principal Hal Mortensen has recently accepted the Assistant Principal post at Moapa Valley High School. With this, Mack Lyon Middle has seen a change to both of its top administrators at once. Last month, Lyon Principal, Dave Wilson also took a new position as principal at Virgin Valley High School in Mesquite. This development comes as good news for Mortensen. He will be taking over the position vacated by Rod Adams who recently accepted the Principal position at Mack Lyon. This now leaves an Assistant Principal spot open at Mack Lyon. Interviews for that position are currently underway. A transplant from Mesquite, Mortensen has been in Moapa Valley for the past three years. He began as the Dean of Mack Lyon and was promoted to Assistant Principal last year when the Dean position was phased out. |
 Mack Lyon Middle School Assistant Principal Hal Mortensen has recently been named the new Assistant Principal of Moapa Valley High School. |
||
|
Prior to making the move to Moapa Valley Mortensen taught Special Education in Virgin Valley for ten years. Before that he worked for several different colleges as an adjunct professor. Mortensen earned his Bachelors of Science in History/Business Management at Northern Arizona University. He then received his Masters of Science in Special Education at the University of Arizona. Mortensen also attended UNLV and earned his Masters of Science in School Administration.
Since making the move to Moapa Valley, Mortensen has been very active in the community serving as a volunteer coach for Parks and Recreation and the Little League Association. He has served as a Scoutmaster for the Boys Scouts of America, is a member of the Optimist Club and has served as Camp Director for summer camps for disadvantaged youth. Mortensen enjoys spending time with wife Geanna and their five children, Halie a junior at MVHS, Jackson an 8th grader at Mack Lyon, Jay a 5th grader at Bowler Elementary, Hanna a 2nd grader at Bowler Elementary, and Jeremiah who will be attending preschool in the fall. He looks forward to bringing them along to the high school sporting events in the fall where he will be spending a lot of time. One of Mortensen’s duties at MVHS will be handling athletics. He will also oversee facilities, and activities. Mortensen explained that Adams had been working on a facility plan at the high school. This is something he is looking forward to continuing to see through. He will be working on securing a new gym, and looking at putting in a soccer field. Mortensen had plenty of success in his endeavours at Mack Lyon revamping the lighting, getting telephones in all classrooms, and he oversaw the sewer drainage construction. He also oversaw the athletics programs. Mortensen was a huge supporter of the basketball, volleyball and football programs at Lyon. “I will be going big scale with all the sports at MVHS,” he said. Mortensen looks forward to working with the high school students. As he has been in the valley for the past three years he has worked with nearly all the students who will be freshman through junior classes. Mortensen will be working half days at Mack Lyon and half days at MVHS until mid-September to help with the transition for the new administration. “I am looking forward to working with such a great staff at MVHS, administrators too,” said Mortensen. Heading to an empowerment school is something else Mortensen is looking forward to. “Becoming empowered was a great thing to have happen,” he said. “The kids will reap the benefits.” Mortensen has always had one of his kids at school with him. Son, Jackson, is sad to see his dad move on to high school before him. He said that he has enjoyed raiding his dads private fridge. Now Halie and her friends will have that same opportunity at MVHS. Mortensen is happy to be able to continue “keeping an eye” on his kids. |
