Retired South County Secondary School Principal Dale Rumberger will serve as interim principal as Kim Retzer takes her maternity leave starting Jan. 22.

“South Lakes’ great reputation is a daunting factor,” Rumberger said. “South Lakes is a great school and one that has a great reputation and I’m very excited to be able to lead such a great school.”

Rumberger’s education career began in 1976. He was a teacher for nine years, after which he became special projects teacher, and director of student activities at Thomas Jefferson High School for Technology. During those nine years, Rumberger twice served as the director of the Summer Institute for the Arts for FCPS.

After leaving Thomas Jefferson, Rumberger became a sub school principal at Hayfield in 1990, supervising mathematics and science. In 1995 Rumberger became principal at Chantilly, serving there until 1999, where he then moved to the principal of Westfield. Rumberger finished his career as a full-time principal in 2008 at South County for four years. After retiring, Rumberger has served as the interim director of student activities at Thomas Jefferson, interim principal at Bailey’s Elementary School for Arts and Sciences, facilitator/consultant for Education Specifications in Facilities Services, and consultant/facilitator on Virtual Learning.

“I’m excited to welcome Mr. Rumberger,” Retzer said. “I asked for someone with experience as a high school principal. I think his years of experience will provide us with a different outlook and maybe even give us some new ideas.”

Rumberger was named the 2007 FCPS Principal of the Year.

In an news release by FCPS announcing Rumberger’s winning of Principal of the Year, Rumberger is described as “a mediator, an initiator, a catalyst for new ideas, a supporter, an ambassador, an educator, a director, a producer, a decision maker, a social worker, a creator, a fiscal manager, and a visionary.”

Rumberger hopes that as he steps in as interim principal he will be able to keep the great reputation and maybe even raise the reputation.

“From my experience, I hope to provide a different outlook, not necessarily better, but different,” Rumberger said.