Paul Young, PhD, a retired elementary principal, is currently the Executive Director of the West After School Center in Lancaster, Ohio. He began his career as a high school band director and then retrained to become a fourth grade teacher before advancing to an elementary principalship in 1986.

He served as President of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators (OAESA) in 1997 and was elected to the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Board of Directors in 1998 (the only person elected by write-in ballot). He became president-elect in 2001-2002 and served as the national president during the 2002-2003 school year. He retired in December 2004. Since retirement, he has served as an advocate for the advancement of equitable and affordable afterschool programming for all children.

Dr. Young completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in music education in 1972 and a Master of Music degree in trombone performance in 1973, both from Ohio University-Athens. He earned a PhD in educational administration from OU in 1992. Young has taught undergraduate music classes at Ohio University-Lancaster for more than 25 years. He continues to teach private trombone lessons. He is a strong advocate for the arts. He is the past president of the Ohio University School of Music Society of Alumni and Friends.

Dr. Young is the author of Mastering the Art of Mentoring Principals, You Have to Go to School, You’re the Principal: 101 Tips to Make it Better for Your Students, Your Staff, and Yourself and Mentoring Principals: Frameworks, Agendas, Tips, and Case Studies for Mentors and Mentees.  He has also written numerous articles about music, the arts, student management, and the principalship for professional journals.

Jeromey M. Sheets was born and raised in Nelsonville, a small town in southeastern Ohio. His success as a student-athlete helped him to obtain admission to Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, where he earned a baccalaureate degree in elementary education and enjoyed success as an intercollegiate wrestler. After graduation, he taught a combined second/ third grade in Lancaster where he began working for Paul Young. After one year of teaching, he enrolled at Ashland University and completed the coursework for principal’s certifica­tion and earned a master’s degree within two years. In mid-March, 2002, he became the principal of North Elementary School in Lancaster. He is the Zone I representative for the board of directors of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators. He has presented at OAESA and NAESP professional conferences and conventions. He is the co-author of the book Mastering the Art of Mentoring Principals with his mentor, Paul Young. He and his wife Kerry live in Lancaster.

Dustin D. Knight grew up in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He earned a baccalaureate degree in elemen­tary education at Ohio University. He began teaching in a small rural school district as a full-time substi­tute. He was a middle school language arts teacher prior to teaching third grade at West Elementary School. He completed his master’s degree in educational administration at Ashland University. He became principal of Bloom Elementary School, Lithopolis, Ohio, in late August, 2002. He returned to Lancaster and worked as the interim principal of West Elementary School for the 2002–2003 school year. He is now the principal of Chief Tarhe Elementary School in Lancaster. He has been a regular presenter at both the OAESA Aspiring Principals Conference and Annual Professional Conference and Trade Show. He and his wife, Gina, enjoy family time with their young children, son Spencer and daughter Chloe. They live in Lancaster with their golden retriever, Mulligan.