Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
MENTONE - Alexa Holland has been hired as Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation's new athletic director.
The announcement was made at a school board meeting on Monday, Dec. 15.
Holland brings with her experience in athletic administration, coaching and corporate partnership development.
Holland was a four-sport athlete at Rochester High School. She then attended Ohio University, where she competed in Division 1 softball at the highest level, including the final round of the Tennessee Regional in the Women’s College World Series. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management and business from Ohio University and went on to complete dual master’s degrees, a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters of Sports Administration.
She served as a senior account manager for the Ohio and Florida High School Athletic Associations, where she built corporate partnerships and generated revenue for high school athletic programs. She also has athletic director internships at Rochester High School, Athens High School, Super Bowl LVI, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, ACC Women’s Basketball Final Four, Kentucky Derby, Xavier University, Yale University, Wasserman (WNBA), CrossFit, Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Browns. Holland was also assistant softball coach at Capital University and coached both basketball and softball at both middle and high school levels.
Tippecanoe Valley High School Principal Brandon Kresca shared his enthusiasm for Holland’s appointment.
“Alexa impressed the interview committee with her confidence, professionalism and winner’s mentality," said Kresca. "She knows what it takes to compete at the highest level and will challenge our student athletes and coaches to strive for greatness while walking alongside them. Alexa will strengthen community bonds and garner support for our athletic programs. We are hiring a winner and a go-getter who will do whatever it takes.”
Additional new hires announced were Emily McGriff as the new counselor at Mentone Elementary, Lucas Helton as the new physical education and health teacher at Tippecanoe Valley High School, and Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office deputy Mason Teel as the new district resource officer.
In other business:
• The school board was updated regarding the new administration and daycare building.
The construction is still ahead of schedule overall. However, the roofing materials were delayed due to a supplier issue. The roofing material should be delivered Dec. 29 and work on the roof should begin by the following week. Most of the mechanical, plumbing and electrical work has been roughed in, and mechanicals have been installed in the basement. The new building is expected to be fully complete and turned over to TVSC by the end of May 2026. The old building should be fully demolished and have site work completed by the end of July 2026.
• Aaron Zolman brought up his issues with the school calendar presented at the last board meeting on Nov. 17. During the Nov. 17 meeting, Zolman took issue with the schedule showing the school year starting in early August. It was explained then that this was to align the TVSC calendar to Warsaw Community High School for the WAC students.
At the December meeting, Zolman pointed out that fall break is only two days, when seven of the eight surrounding schools, including WCHS, have a full week off. There was discussion regarding the preferences regarding student schedules.
Board member David Lash said that the schedule is the way it is to give students the maximum number of school days before standardized testing. It was confirmed that the board could still vote to change the schedule during the next couple TVSC school board meetings. The calendar was passed 3-1, with Zolman as the dissenting vote.
• Blaine Conley, superintendent, thanked the maintenance and custodial staff.
“I just want to thank the maintenance and the custodial teams for the countless early mornings and late nights, plowing, shoveling, salting, keeping our campuses safe and accessible. Their hard work behind the scenes keeps learning moving forward. We’re grateful for their dedication, pride, and service to our students, staff and community. They’ve done a great job,” he said.
Conley stated, “I also want to thank the faculty, staff, and administrative team for their amazing work this first semester in ... strengthening explicit instruction. Their commitment to high quality literacy practices, collaboration and continual improvement is making a real difference with our students. We, me along with the board, appreciate your dedication and the purposeful work happening in every classroom."
The next regular board meeting is on Monday, Jan. 19.
