The Southern Ohio Educational Service Center Governing Board announced Jeff Royalty as Director of the Region 14 Hopewell Center.

Royalty has served as the interim director since January 2017, replacing Beth Justice who now serves as the Superintendent of the Southern Ohio ESC, which serves as the financial agent for Region 14.

The Region 14 State Support Team is responsible for the regional delivery of school improvement, early learning and school readiness, early and school age literacy, and special education compliance services to districts within Region 14.

Region 14 currently serves school districts in Adams, Brown, Clinton, Fayette, and Highland Counties.

Royalty served Western Brown Local as a music teacher and band director, administrator, and superintendent for 31 years before retiring in 2010.

Prior to his appointment at Region 14, Royalty worked closely with the Ohio Department of Education as a reviewer for the Academic Distress Commission and School Improvement Diagnostic Review teams.

Royalty holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Cumberland College and a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Dayton. He has also held leadership positions in various educational, civic, and community organizations.

Information for this article was provided by Diana Miller, who coordinates communications for several area schools.