Pacific East announces administrator selections for 2020-21 school year

DoDEA Pacific East announces principal selections for M.C. Perry High School, E.J. King Middle High School, Iwakuni Middle School, Zama Middle High School, and Darby Elementary School; as well as assistant principal selection for Yokosuka Middle School.

Dr. Gail Awakuni
Principal, M.C. Perry High School

Dr. Judith J. Allen, DoDEA Pacific East District Superintendent, is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Gail Awakuni as principal of M.C. Perry High School, located at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan.

Dr. Awakuni obtained a bachelor's degree, master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and teaching credential from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Dr. Awakuni received a doctorate in Educational Administration from Union Institute/University in Ohio. Dr. Awakuni's teaching career began as an English teacher at Radford High School, and, subsequently, Moanalua High School, both schools with high military populations operated by the State of Hawaii Department of Education.

Her experience includes teaching all levels of English from reading through Advanced Placement and serving as a Resource Teacher (synonymous to DoDEA's ISS), an assistant principal and acting principal of Kailua High School, principal of Enchanted Lake Elementary, and principal of James Campbell High School for ten years. In 2004, she was selected as the 2004 State of Hawaii Principal of the Year and received the 2005 NASSP/MET Life National Principal of the Year Award. In 2010, Dr. Awakuni was appointed as the Acting Complex Area Superintendent of the Leeward District, State of Hawaii Department of Education.

In 1987, Dr. Awakuni received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Hawaii Council Teachers of English. In 1999, she was awarded the Geico Educators for Excellence Award for Windward District.

Dr. Awakuni won national commendations while at James Campbell High School (JCHS), the largest high school in Hawaii. In 2004, JCHS was awarded the Gates Foundation Pathways to College Access and selected for the NASSP Breakthrough High School.

She has served the stakeholders of Sasebo for nine years at E.J. King High School. E.J. King High School has been awarded a Highly Qualified AVID certification and commendations for the Navy JROTC program, AdvanED Accreditations, Fiscal and Supplies Auditing Reports, Special Education, scholarships, Far East Culinary Competition, Art, Language Arts, Newswriting, drama, and athletics.

Dr. Awakuni is honored to have the opportunity to broaden her experiences at M.C. Perry High School.

Mr. Lorenzo Brown
Principal, E.J. King Middle High School

Dr. Judith J. Allen, DoDEA Pacific East District Superintendent, is pleased to announce the selection of Mr. Lorenzo Brown as principal of E.J. King Middle High School, located at Commander Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan.

For the past 21 years, Mr. Brown has served the Pacific East District as an administrator. His experience includes eight years as principal at M.C. Perry High School in Iwakuni, Japan; four years as principal at Nile C. Kinnick High School in Yokosuka, Japan; six years as assistant principal at Yokota High School in Yokota, Japan; and three years as assistant principal at Nile C. Kinnick High School in Yokosuka, Japan.

A South Carolina native, Lorenzo attended public schools in Loris. He graduated from high school as an academic scholar and well-rounded athlete in football, basketball, and track.

Upon graduation from high school, Lorenzo entered Coker College in Hartsville, SC with aspirations of becoming become a lawyer. He graduated in 1988 with a double major in history education and political science. During his collegiate career, Mr. Brown served the United States by being a member of the South Carolina National Guard for a span of eight years. Upon graduating, Lorenzo immediately began working for Greenwood District 50 as a history teacher and coach. He taught U.S. History, World History, World Regions, and African-American History. He founded the AFRAMHIS (African-American History) Club in 1990 at the school to help teach, equip, and instill a sense of pride in African-American students regarding their heritage.

In 1994, Mr. Brown accepted a job as a teacher with the Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Wiesbaden, Germany. In 1998, Lorenzo completed a master's degree in curriculum and instruction through a field based program with National-Louis University after starting the initial administration and supervisory course of study through Clemson University's program. During his tenure at Wiesbaden HS, Lorenzo coached and led the Wiesbaden men's basketball team to consecutive European Championships in 1998 and 1999. A three-peat was not to be as later that year, he accepted a promotion to Assistant Principal in Yokosuka, Japan.

He is a man of very few words but speaks at length on topics such as education, history, family, and achievement. He believes passionately that all students can learn and that it does take a village to raise a child. He is a member of ASCD and the NASSP. He served as president of the Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools (KPASSP) from 2009-2012 which provided him the opportunity to work in collaboration with DoDEA principals and principals/head masters from international schools. This exchange in education knowledge yielded improvements in academics, activities, and athletics for high school students.

Mr. Dwayne Jefferson
Principal, Iwakuni Middle School

Dr. Judith J. Allen, DoDEA Pacific East District Superintendent, is pleased to announce the selection of Mr. Dwayne Jefferson as principal of Iwakuni Middle School, located at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan.

Mr. Dwayne Jefferson is a native of Petersburg, Virginia. He is a 1988 graduate of Petersburg High School and received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Longwood University. He also holds master's degrees in Public Administration and Elementary Education from Central Michigan University and Virginia State University, respectively.

After four years as an assistant manager in the retail industry, Mr. Jefferson switched careers to become an educator in the Petersburg Public School System (PPSS) in 2000. While in PPSS, Mr. Jefferson worked as a reading teacher/tutor; a fourth and fifth grade math teacher; and a Title One Math Resource Teacher. After five years with PPSS, Mr. Jefferson took a position as a fifth grade math teacher with Richmond City Public Schools (RPS). Mr. Jefferson taught fifth grade math for seven years at Woodville Elementary before being promoted to assistant principal in 2012. Mr. Jefferson served in the capacity of assistant principal for two years at Clark Springs Elementary School and Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School in Richmond, VA before being hired as a Math Support Specialist at Yokota West Elementary at Yokota Air Base in August 2014. After working at Yokota West Elementary School for one year, Mr. Jefferson was promoted to assistant principal of John O. Arnn Elementary School at Camp Zama and served in this capacity for two years. In May 2017 he was promoted to principal of Iwakuni Elementary School in MCAS Iwakuni, Japan.

Mr. Jefferson has a strong passion for working with students to help develop, guide, and nurture their young minds. He enjoys forming and maintaining positive and cohesive relationships with colleagues, parents, the military community, and the host nation community to foster a school culture that embraces all stakeholders.

Mr. Henry (Hank) LeFebre
Principal, Zama Middle High School

Dr. Judith J. Allen, DoDEA Pacific East District Superintendent, is pleased to announce the selection of Mr. Henry (Hank) LeFebre as principal of Zama Middle High School, located at U.S. Army Garrison Camp Zama, Japan.

Henry Hank LeFebre is originally from Pueblo, Colorado and is a passionate educational leader and sports fan. Mr. LeFebre's education includes a bachelor's degree in Social Sciences from Colorado State University and two master's degrees - one in Education Leadership from the University of South Florida and a second in Technology Leadership from Northcentral University.

Mr. LeFebre, also known as LTC LeFebre, is a long-serving military man who, when on duty, used to work in the G-3 shop at USARJ; however, now works in the J -5 shop of U.S. Forces Japan.

Mr. LeFebre began his career in education in the fall of 1995 in St Petersburg, Fla. While in Florida, Mr. LeFebre taught middle school Social Studies and high school A.P. American History as well as coached multiple sports. Mr. LeFebre joined DoDEA in the fall of 2005, teaching Gifted Education at Osan Elementary (2005-2009). While assigned there he helped coach the Cougars to one of its small school football championships. Mr. LeFebre then transferred to RAF Alconbury, UK (2009- 2011) where he taught G.E., Read 180 and P.E., coaching football and softball again coaching the Dragons to one of its small school championships. Mr. LeFebre then returned to Korea, teaching middle school social studies and AVID at Camp Humphreys (2011-2012).

Mr. LeFebre's leadership assignments include serving as assistant principal at E.J. King Middle/High School (2012- 2015) and principal of Darby Elementary School (2015-2020).

Mr. LeFebre's educational philosophy is kids first, teachers always and work smarter not harder by making data do the heavy lifting!

Dr. Chris Racek
Principal, Darby Elementary School

Dr. Judith J. Allen, DoDEA Pacific East District Superintendent, is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Chris Racek as principal of Darby Elementary School located at Commander Fleet Activities, Sasebo, Japan.

Dr. Racek is a Colorado native and a graduate of Denver Public Schools and Thomas Jefferson High School. After graduation from high school, he joined the United States Navy as an Operations Specialist. He spent 17 years at sea serving on numerous ships in the 7th Fleet and retired after 20 years as a Chief Petty Officer.

Dr. Racek received his bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies from Excelsior College, and his master's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Colorado. He was awarded his Ph.D. in Leadership for K-12 Programs from Capella University. For his dissertation, he researched the impact of staff and professional development on teachers in a small school district.

Dr. Racek began his DoDEA career as a classroom teacher at Sasebo Elementary School in 2003. Since that time, he has also held positions as an Assistant Principal and Principal and is looking forward to his newest assignment.

His professional interests include Project Based Learning (PBL), digitally connecting with virtual PLN's, progressive and differentiated staff and professional development, and moving away from the use of worksheets. He has led three schools through the AdvancED accreditation process, and is regularly engaged in program evaluation.

Dr. Racek has experience in writing discipline regulations and handbooks and creating professional performance appraisal instruments. His current professional focus is on spending as much time as possible as an instructional leader in classrooms during the school day and on bringing 21st Century learning from the book to the classroom, as well as engaging in collaboration and the implementation of cooperative learning structures.

Dr. Racek is an active member of a number of twitter #educhats, as well as a member of the Tokyo Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa. Additionally, he is a life-member of the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

Dr. David Hermann
Assistant Principal, Yokosuka Middle School

Dr. Judith J. Allen, DoDEA Pacific East District Superintendent, is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. David Hermann as assistant principal at Yokosuka Middle School, located at Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY), Japan.

Dr. David L. Hermann earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Dallas in 1990. He started graduate studies at Duquesne University, earning a master's degree in Psychology (1991) and an Advanced Certificate in School Psychology (1995). While working full-time as a Director of Special Education/Pupil Personnel Service Coordinator, he completed his graduate studies at The Pennsylvania State University earning a Superintendent/Asst. Superintendent Certification (2006) and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership (2011).

Beginning in 1988, Dr. Hermann spent the next 24 years working in a wide variety psychiatric, counseling and educational (state and federal) settings. He provided psychological services, trainings, and supports in community mental health and school psychology settings; with specializations in early reading intervention, social emotional learning, and crisis prevention, intervention and recovery.

Dr. Hermann began his DoDEA career in January 2012 as the Instructional Support Specialist for Psychologists, Counselors and Nurses at the Area office for DoDEA-DDESS in Peachtree City, GA. During his tenure he continued his aforementioned work to provide DDESS administrators and staff innovative trainings, programs and policy statements which were aligned with and helped shape the DoDEA mission. In January of 2015, Dr. Hermann was selected as the assistant principal at Mendel Elementary School in the Pacific East District. For the past five years, he has served at JKMES with distinction and continued to work with his school and district administration in order to provide innovative and best practices in the areas of Social Emotional Learning and Positive Behavior Intervention Supports.

In June 2020, he was selected to assume the assistant principal duties at Yokosuka Middle School. Dr. Hermann is thrilled by this incredible opportunity and is looking forward to joining the school administration, faculty, and community. He greatly enjoys traveling around Asia, and they all share a love of exploring new places, cultures, and foods. Lastly, he and his wife are both proud and dedicated alumni of The Pennsylvania State University.

About DoDEA

DoDEA plans, directs, coordinates, and manages pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education programs for school-aged children of Department of Defense personnel who would otherwise not have access to high-quality public education. DoDEA schools are located in Europe, the Pacific, Western Asia, the Middle East, Cuba, the United States, Guam, and Puerto Rico. DoDEA also provides support and resources to Local Educational Activities throughout the United States that serve children of military families.