BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–The promotions of four assistant principals were confirmed and announced at Tuesday’s Berkeley County Board of Education workshop.

Among the promotions were those selected as assistant principals to oversee athletics at Goose Creek High School, Hanahan High School and Berkeley High School. A new assistant principal at Sedgefield Middle School was also named.

Christopher Buchholz – Goose Creek High School

Christopher Buchholz was named Assistant Principal of Athletics at Goose Creek High School following several months of working the position in an interim role. GCHS Principal Shameka Washington said Buchholz’s time as an interim AP made his selection unquestionable. She described him as an “innovative thinker and problem solver.”

“Chris has a compelling vision for the future of Goose Creek High and the passion, intelligence, and experience to navigate the waters as “The Creek” continues to rise a return to our position of dominance is South Carolina athletics.”

Buchholz came to Berkeley High School as a teacher in 2006 after leaving a position as teacher and assistant athletic director at Stonewall Middle School in Manassas, Va. In 2012 he accepted a position as an assistant principal at Cane Bay High School. He remained at CBH until accepting the role of Interim AP of Athletics at GCHS.

“I am excited and honored to be given the opportunity to lead athletics at a school with such rich history and tradition,” he said. “I look forward to maximizing educational and athletic opportunities for our student athletes while helping to re-engage our program with this great community.

Kim Joseph – Hanahan High School

Hanahan High School’s new Assistant Principal of Athletics isn’t really “new” at all.

Kim Joseph joined Berkeley County School district in 2005 as a health teacher at Sedgefield Middle School. She bounced around at Cane Bay High, Sangaree Middle and Goose Creek High before she found herself firmly planted in 2009 at Hanahan High as a health and physical education teacher.

With nearly 10 years of working in the Hanahan community under her belt, Joseph said she’s excited about the new opportunity at the school she loves, with the department she’s passionate about, in the tight-knit community she calls home.

“Our school, our plan, our programs run pretty well as-is,” she said. “My goal is to help them be more efficient and more successful. We have a new head football coach, and I am excited to work with him and continue to build our success in Hanahan.”

HHS Principal Tom Gallus said he’s confident Joseph will take Hanahan “to the next level.”

“Hanahan High School is very excited to have Kim Joseph be our next assistant principal over athletics,” Gallus said. “Kim has very strong roots to the community and has worked tirelessly to help out the athletic department any way she can.”

Katherine Butcher – Berkeley High School

Katherine Butcher assumes the role of Assistant Principal of Athletics at the school where she began her career. Butcher began teaching at BHS in 2001 and worked there for three years before taking a job with the US Navy. She later taught at a Department of Defense school and worked as a teacher and coach at Holston High School in Damascus, Va. She came back to BHS in 2012 as an English teacher.

Butcher has since worn several hats, from academy coach to administrative assistant.

“I’m very excited to have somebody that is a member of the Berkeley High School family with a background in athletics, being a former Division I athlete, a former head coach of multiple sports and been working with administration the last five years to step into this very important role at Berkeley High School,” Principal Steven Steele said.

Butcher said she’s honored to be given the opportunity to work with Berkeley High and “one of the top athletic programs in the state.”

“I look forward to being a part of their continued growth as our coaches and athletes strive to excel in both their academic and athletic endeavors,” she said.

Stephen Childers – Sedgefield Middle School

After about 20 years in the classroom, 14 of which were spent at Hanahan High School, Stephen Childers wanted to pursue an opportunity he believed would allow him to help more people.

He obtained a master’s degree in educational leadership from The Citadel in 2014 and now has the opportunity to pursue the dream that led him to the program. To say he’s excited would be an understatement.

“Ever since I got through the admin program, this is something I’ve wanted to do. I’ve wanted to be able to get to an administrative position and help more people,” Childers said. “I’m ready to get working with the Sedgefield stakeholders, parents, students and the surrounding community. They can expect someone who will recognize the challenges and be willing to jump in the trenches to fix it.”

SMS Principal Dr. Jim Spencer believes Childers will be an outstanding administrator.

“We are excited to bring him on board,” Dr. Spencer said. “Mr. Childers has a 14-year positive history in the Berkeley County School district as a professional educator at Hanahan High School. In his tenure there, he served as a teacher, social studies department chairperson and even an athletic coach.”

The school board also approved the promotion of Charla Groves from assistant principal at Philip Simmons Middle to principal; the promotion of Leigh Hankins Patterson to Coordinator of Psychological Services and the naming of Jenna Wells as Coordinator of Virtual Learning.