TOW principal moves on to district human resources director

Kai Arellano, Editor-in-Chief/Production Manager

Former Top of the World Elementary School Principal, Michael Conlon, was appointed by the school board on June 16, 2019, as the Director of Human Resources for LBUSD. After 12 years of serving as a school administrator, he assumed his role at the district offices on Sept. 16.

“All of my past experiences have led me to this opportunity,” said Conlon.

During his time at Top of the World, he aimed to provide growth opportunities for the school’s staff and students by building positive relationships through opportunities such as the Growth Mindset Program, which launched in 2015. Conlon hopes that this program will stick with students throughout their school careers as well as their everyday lives, giving guidance as they continue to grow.

“I’ve been honored to be the principal for the last five years, and I feel really good about where the school is at,” said Conlon.

In his new role as Director of HR, Conlon will be managing the staff flow across the district, incorporating all aspects of the people working at all four schools and the district office. Among other duties, he will manage staff training, oversee interviews and keep up the dynamic environment in the workplace. In the future, Conlon hopes to continue to expand on what previous directors have done for the Human Resources department by keeping the schools and the communities surrounding it safe and content.

“I’m going to step in and continue the work that Leisa Winston has done an amazing job with. I also will have a different perspective and see how we can run things more effectively,” said Conlon.

While Conlon knows that his experience as an administrator at schools will play a role in his new position, he hopes that his relationship skills can help the department grow and succeed in the future.

“I feel like HR is the heart of a district, so it is important to maintain positive working relationships with staff and [ensure] that we are all working together to produce hard-working graduates every year,” said Conlon.