Volusia County Schools Superintendent Carmen Balgobin announced 14 new principals during a June 2 School Board meeting.
Eight were newly appointed, while six others were transferred from other principal and administration roles.
Here’s a look at the new school leaders.
Jodi Lewitt, Seabreeze High School
Lewitt is no stranger to Seabreeze, having served as assistant principal at the Daytona Beach high school since 2022. She started in the district in 2004 as an intermediate teacher at Woodward Elementary in DeLand, and moved on to Volusia Pines Elementary in 2013, where she worked in academic intervention and as an academic coach. From 2019 to 2022, she was a teacher on assignment at University High School in Orange City. Lewitt holds master’s degrees from Grand Valley State Colleges in Ottawa County, Michigan, and Stetson University in DeLand. She replaces Tucker Harris, who was named the Volusia district’s director of secondary schools.
Bobbie Jo Grieve, River Springs Middle School
Grieve becomes principal of the Orange City school after starting in Volusia County as a core teacher at DeLand High School in 2006. She moved on to teaching roles at University High School in Orange City from 2010 to 2016, taught at Deltona High School for another year and then became assistant principal at Deltona in 2017, moving on to become assistant principal at University High in 2020. She holds a master’s degree from SUNY College Oswego County in New York and a specialist degree from Stetson University in DeLand.
Christina Donohue, Beachside Elementary School
Donohue comes to the Daytona Beach elementary from Brevard County, where she most recently served as assistant principal of curriculum at James Madison Middle School in Titusville. She served in the Brevard district since 2005, as a teacher, guidance service professional, and executive director of the Teacher Leadership Council before becoming a middle school assistant principal in 2018. Donohue holds a master’s degree from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. She replaces Leigh Prokop, who has become the district’s director of elementary schools.
Loretta Faith Harris, Blue Lake Elementary
Harris, who holds a doctorate degree from Nova Southeastern University in Orlando, comes to the DeLand school after serving as an assistant principal at Lake County schools since 2021. She has also been instructional materials and media services manager and a literary program specialist in Lake County, as well as a teacher and literacy coach in Osceola and Orange counties. She replaces Holly Bailey, who was named director of human resources for Volusia County Schools.
Samantha Fabulich, Champion Elementary
Fabulich has been assistant principal at the Daytona Beach school since November 2025. Previously, she was an assistant principal at Spruce Creek Elementary in Port Orange, where she also served as a teacher on assignment from 2021 to 2023. For 21 years prior, she was a teacher at Pathways Elementary School in Ormond Beach. Fabulich has a master’s degree from Stetson University.
Amy Carey, George Marks Elementary
Carey comes to the DeLand school from Heritage Middle School in Deltona, where she was assistant principal since 2025. From 2017 to 2025, she served as assistant principal at New Smyrna Beach Middle School, where she worked as a teacher since 2010. Carey has a master’s degree from Stetson University.
Kelly Moore, Tomoka Elementary School
Moore arrives at the Ormond Beach school from Chisholm Elementary in DeLand, where she was an assistant principal since 2021. She has also worked as a teacher in Volusia County Schools since 2013, serving at River Springs Middle, Spruce Creek Elementary and Chisholm. Moore has master’s degrees from Stetson University and the University of Central Florida.
Hilarie Blum, Volusia Pines Elementary
Blum comes to the Lake Helen elementary from Mainland High School, where she was assistant principal since 2021. Previously, she served as a teacher at Forest Lake Elementary in Deltona and as a teacher, a CTE facilitator, and academic interventionist at Mainland from 2014 to 2019. Blum holds a master’s degree from Stetson University.
Laura Figueroa, Discovery Elementary
Figueroa has been a principal in Volusia County Schools since 2021, and transferred to Discovery from Spirit Elementary School, also in Deltona.
Richard Inge, Port Orange Elementary
Inge comes from Silver Sands Middle School, also in Port Orange, where he was named secondary school principal of the year in 2025. He started in Volusia County Schools in 1991.
Tracey Ryser, Spirit Elementary
Ryser moves to the Deltona school from Woodward Elementary in DeLand, where she was principal since 2021.
Michael Zablo, Woodward Elementary
Zablo moves to the DeLand school after working as principal at Port Orange Elementary since 2024.
John Cash, Creekside Middle School
Cash is headed back to the Port Orange middle school where he previously served as principal after a stint as the superintendent’s chief of staff in the DeLand district office.
Thomas Vaughan, Silver Sands Middle School
Vaughn is transferring as principal to the Port Orange School from River Springs Middle School in Orange City.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Meet 14 just-announced Volusia County Schools principals
Reporting by Mark Harper, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mark Harper, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
