Nzeza named new Southside principal

She has been assistant principal at the school since 2017

Jennifer Nzeza. Image courtesy Sarasota County Schools

Jennifer Nzeza has been named principal of Southside Elementary School, effective May 30, the Sarasota County School District has announced.

She serves as assistant principal at Southside, where she has worked since 2017, a news release points out.

Nzeza recently was recognized as the 2018 Sarasota County District Assistant Principal of the Year based on her work at Southside, the release points out. Her new position is pending confirmation from the School Board.

Nzeza would assume the role held by Steve Dragon, who is retiring on May 29, the release notes.

“[Nzeza] is an exceptional leader, and her administrative skills, coupled with the connections she has made at Southside, make her an ideal candidate for the post,” Superintendent Todd Bowden, said in the release. I know she will continue to shine in this capacity.”

“I am ecstatic to have been selected as the next principal of Southside Elementary School,” Nzeza said in the release. “I look forward to leading and working alongside our highly-talented teachers, our dedicated parents and our amazing children. Oh, the places we’ll go!”

Prior to her work at Southside Elementary, Nzeza served as an assistant principal at Pine View School from 2011 to 2017, the release notes. At Pine View, she was responsible for professional development and instruction, the release adds. She was also involved in numerous literacy-focused initiatives, the release continues.

Earlier in her career with the Sarasota County School District, Nzeza worked at Booker Middle School (1998 to 2011). There, she served as a teacher and academic interventionist, the release says.

Nzeza has a degree in educational leadership from Argosy University, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from National Louis University, and a bachelor’s degree in social science education from the University of South Florida, the release points out. She resides in Sarasota with her family.