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Durango High School introduces candidates for activities director

Community questions experience, attitudes about discipline, fundraising

Parents and community members attending a forum for three finalists for the activities and athletics director position at Durango High School had questions about drug testing, discipline, coach and activity adviser support and fundraising.

Three candidates – Guy Meyer, Jimmie Lankford and Amanda Lopez – were introduced. A fourth was caught up in a medical situation with his expectant wife, current activities and athletics director Dave Preszler said.

The three candidates spent the day answering questions posed by an interview team and student panel as well as responding to a scenario posed by a parent. The position is responsible for 21 athletic teams and more than 40 other activities, including student council, band and orchestra, theater, the aerospace design team, chess club and El Diablo school newspaper, said activities and athletics administrative assistant Ann Duft.

“This is a really important position in our school,” DHS Principal Leanne Garcia told the group of about 30 attendees.

All three candidates credited their involvement in sports with keeping them in school and encouraging them to perform at higher levels academically.

Meyer, a former Fort Lewis College basketball player, has spent the last five years as assistant basketball coach at Cochise College in southeastern Arizona.

“I try to teach students that your daily habits have to help you meet your goals and aspirations,” Meyer said. “Kids in places like Durango travel so much, miss so many classes, we have to foster academics first. You have to hold up your end of the bargain in the classroom, proactively get classwork. There has to be accountability.”

Meyer acknowledged he would have a steep learning curve.

“I know the energy and enthusiasm I’ll bring cannot be matched,” he said. “I have a willingness to learn, and I’m willing to sacrifice my personal time to get it right.”

Lankford, who previously served as athletic and activities director at Montezuma-Cortez High School, currently holds the position as assistant principal and activities director at Dolores High School.

“What we teach is lifelong skills,” he said, “the ability to be successful after high school. The ability to get along, to problem solve. Kids are the most important things we do.”

Addressing a key issue at DHS, Lankford believes in random drug testing.

“I don’t believe in it as much as a ‘gotcha,’” he said, “but because it gives them another out, another deterrent beside ‘my mom will kill me, my dad will kill me.’”

Amanda Lopez recently moved to Durango from Summit County, where she served as both executive director and head of coaching for High Country Soccer Association, which has more than 2,000 participants.

“I notice you have a Healthy Choices Committee working on an update on your code of conduct,” she said. “I like that you’re making suspension a last resort. While it’s important that kids understand repercussions, whatever we can do to get them on the right path and bring the good out of people is what we should do.”

Some parents had concerns about activities receiving equal attention with athletics.

“I have appreciation and respect for things I’ve not participated in,” Lopez said. “It would be such an honor to learn and be part of whatever activities are taking place. And every student in this school should be picking something, because they should take advantage of the opportunities this school provides to students.”

abutler@durangoherald.com

May 2, 2016
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Apr 23, 2016
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Mar 2, 2016
Dave Preszler to step down as Durango High School athletic director
Oct 14, 2015
Review of athletic conduct code begins in 9-R
Sep 2, 2015
Gearing up for stadium fundraising


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