Banner Schools welcome new superintendent

Dr. Evelyn Browne will join the Banner County School District as superintendent of schools beginning July 1, as the Banner County School Board approved her contract at their recent board meeting.

Browne takes the helm from Lana Sides, who will retire following this school year after 14 years as superintendent.

“I was so impressed by the school, the staff, Board and particularly the students that I met during my brief visit a couple of weeks ago. The interview process was the last phase of a clearly articulated plan on the part of school leadership to seek the best candidate to follow Supt. Lana Sides’ long tenure at Banner County School,” Browne said. “I am very happy that they selected me and overjoyed at the prospect of moving to Nebraska and becoming a part of your community.”

She was the first in her family to complete college.

“Neither of my parents graduated high school, but both had a deep respect for education and helped me to navigate the application process and figure out how to pay for it,” Browne said.

Browne completed her bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Georgian Court College, which was an all-female college at that time. Once her children, Brian, now 32, and Caroline, now 26, were born she began considering a career in education. She then completed a Master of Arts in teaching at Western New Mexico University.

“My curiosity about how educational organizations grow and develop and the role of leadership in schools prompted me to enter the doctoral program at Rowan University in 2006,” she said.

Her experience ranges from early childhood to adult education programs for women reentering the workforce.

She has 17 years of public school experience as a classroom teacher, director of curriculum and instruction and principal/superintendent of a rural school of 400 students in grades pre-k through 8.

After a visit to the Halsey area seven years ago, Browne and her husband, Richard, fell in love with the Sandhills and have visited each year since. She looks forward to seeing something different from the state.

“I have many, many photos of the Sandhills and the prairie in winter – I have never seen Nebraska green,” she said. “I am looking forward to seeing the sunflowers!”

Fields of flowers are great, but Browne has even more to look forward to.

“It is very important to me that everyone in our school community has a voice and that I hear each voice,” she said. “I look forward to being your partner in the education and development of your children. I am so very excited about the adventure and learning that will begin July 1!”