Fulton Schools Name Hopewell, Webb Bridge Principals

New principals for Hopewell and Webb Bridge middle schools were approved byt the Fulton County School Board.

Dr. Lenora Patterson will join this summer as its new principal. An assistant principal in Gwinnett County, Susan Opferman is joining the Fulton County School System as s new principal.

Currently an assistant principal at Riverwood International Charter School, Patterson began her career in DeKalb County as a middle school math teacher and also has taught reading and math at the elementary level.

As a curriculum assistant principal at Riverwood, Patterson oversees instructional delivery of the math, science, career technology, visual and performing arts, and physical education departments. She also developed “Riverwood PUSH,” a program that identifies and recruits high-achieving minority students for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, followed by a master’s degree in teaching, from Emory University. She earned her doctorate in education from Vanderbilt University.

A 23-year veteran educator, Opferman taught at elementary and middle schools in Gwinnett County before joining the administrative team at Creekland Middle School in Lawrenceville. In 2011, Opferman was named Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals as well as a recipient of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders’ President’s Professional of the Year Award.

 “It came as no surprise to me that Susan was chosen,” said Dr. Bill Kruskamp, principal of Creekland Middle. “Susan is one of those assistant principals that a principal absolutely requires for success. She comes with the full package–the ability to lead faculty, the belief that if a job is worth doing it should be done with quality the first time around, and a deep passion for students and faculty, and teaching and learning.”

Opferman is pursuing her doctorate in educational leadership from Liberty University and holds specialist’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Georgia. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Florida.

Also heading to a North Fulton school is Jimmy Zoll. The principal of Wilson Creek Elementary School is moving to Autrey Mill Middle School as its new leader.

Zoll has been Wilson Creek’s principal since it opened in 2004, and before that was principal of State Bridge Crossing Elementary and Brookview Elementary. He also served as an assistant principal at College Park Elementary and before that taught at and Crabapple Middle School.

In 2008, he received the Distinguished Principal Award from the Georgia Association of Elementary Principals.

Zoll holds an associate’s degree from Young Harris College, a bachelor’s degree in social science education from the University of Georgia, and a master’s degree in social science education from Georgia State University. He also earned a specialist’s degree in educational leadership from the University of West Georgia.