Superintendent Dr. Sara Johnson is a rural girl at heart. She grew up in Burns, Oregon, with five brothers and developed a quick wit (a necessity as the only sister in the house!) and a tenacity for always doing things better. Dr. Johnson started her career in public education as a first-grade teacher in Burns before moving into administrative roles. Her career has taken her to Lincoln County, McMinnville, Klamath Falls, and Sumner, Washington –  a suburb of Tacoma – where she served as Superintendent. This is Dr. Johnson’s third year as Superintendent for the Crook County School District, and she’s proud to call Prineville home. When the pandemic closed schools in March of 2020, Dr. Johnson’s top priorities were customer service and communication. And those are values she continues to lead by today: “We are here to serve students and their families, so I believe it’s our duty to have a can-do attitude, and I believe we have the right team in place to be the best school district in the region and the state.”

Dr. Joel Hoff has been the district’s Assistant Superintendent since 2019. One of his top priorities is to ensure that each student receives a high-quality academic education as well as a well-rounded and rewarding school experience. In addition, Joel works with the school board, district administrative team, principals, teachers, support staff and families to continuously improve our schools’ level of service. Before his current role, Joel has served as a high school administrator, middle school teacher, coach, and athletic director. He has lived in Prineville with his wife and three school-aged children since 2013.

Heather grew up in Cottage Grove, Oregon, attending schools in both Cottage Grove and Eugene.  After marrying, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Oregon.  Heather and her husband lived in Lebanon, OR when first marrying, where she worked as a paralegal for the Linn County DA’s Office.  After adopting their son from South Korea in 2005, the family moved to Vancouver, WA, where Heather worked for many years in different retail management positions at IKEA Portland. Her family then moved to Twin Cities, MN for four years, where she worked for the University of Minnesota’s Law School in Finance and Payroll.  After deciding they missed the PNW too much, Heather’s husband became the District Engineer for the Prineville District’s Bureau of Land Management, bringing them to Prineville.  Heather has a son in CCHS as a sophomore and her parents also moved to Prineville to be closer to them.  She worked for a company in Bend that manages HOA Board of Directors, so she brings a diverse background to a ever-changing position as the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and School Board for Crook County School District.

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