New Staff at HUSD Announced

Two educators have been chosen to join the administrative team at Healdsburg Unified School District.

Bill Halliday will join the HUSD administrative team in a split position serving students in grades third through eighth at , where he will be principal, and where he will be vice principal.

Diane Conger, current special education teacher and substitute principal at Fitch Mountain Campus, is joining the administrative team as Director of Special Education.

"Please join us in congratulating Diane Conger in her new role and in welcoming Bill Halliday to the district," said HUSD Superintendent Jeff Harding in making the announcement.

Halliday brings more than 30 years of experience as a teacher,
assistant principal and principal in a wide variety of educational settings, from outdoor education to an international preparatory school.

He has a background in school finance, behavioral intervention and effective instructional strategies, Harding said.

"Bill has a long track record as an effective leader in both large school and small school environments in Sonoma County," Harding added. "Bill’s diverse background includes a solid foundation in alternative education as well as more mainstream educational settings."

Early in his career, Halliday founded and directed a wilderness intervention program for students and was later the principal of the Alternative Education Center in Rohnert Park.

Halliday and his family also lived in the United Kingdom for
four years during his tenure as Principal of the ACS Hillington International School.

As an assistant principal at Rancho Cotate High School and currently as the leader of Amarosa Academy in Santa Rosa, Bill has inspired and mentored many young teachers and looks
forward to building strong relationships with the HUSD staff.

Halliday was  born and raised in California and is an avid outdoorsman. He is married and has two sons, ages 21 and 16.

Conger is nown for building strong relationships with students, parents and staff, Harding said.

"Diane has effectively worked with Healdsburg students in grades third through eighth," he said. "She implemented innovative intervention programs during her five years at Healdsburg Junior High School and has been an important member of the administrative team at FMC this year."

In addition to her seven years in the classroom, Conger has   experience from the business world managing offices and supervising staff. She earned a masters degree in special education and her administrative credential from
Sonoma State University.

Conger is also a credentialed behavior specialist with experience
working with special needs students. In addition to her role as Director (.5 FTE), Conger  will serve as the HUSD behavior specialist (.3 FTE) and as a part-time RSP teacher (.2
FTE).