Our Administrative Team

Christopher Brooks, Ed.D.

Head of School

Email: cbrooks@delak12.com

Twitter: @Brooks_Chris
Dr. Christopher Brooks is honored to serve as Head of School at OHDELA. He is an innovative instructional leader whose work is focused on building and fostering strong adult and student learning communities that promote student success. He believes deeply that strong educators and schools can transform the trajectory of a student’s life.

Chris brings leadership experiences in blended, distance and online learning spaces to leverage personalized learning strategies to meet the learning journey of each student. He has served as an Assistant High School Principal, Junior High Principal, Middle School Principal, Lead Middle School Principal. He led the design process and was founding principal of The 9X Impact, a project-based learning 9th grade academy and was an Instructional Specialist with a charter-school network. Most recently, he was the OHDELA High School Principal.

He holds the Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University, completed the Superintendent Licensure program at The Ohio State University, and the Master of Educational Administration and Bachelor of Music Education from Bowling Green State University.

Beverly Beutell

High School Principal

Email: babeutell01@delak12.com

I’m excited to serve as the OHDELA High School Principal this year!  I earned my bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Cleveland State University and hold a masters in educational leadership from University of Dayton.   I have over 20 year’s experience in online education as a teacher, a student, and an administrator.  Virtual learning has evolved over the years to the flexible viable option it is today to meet students’ needs.

My husband and I are empty nesters living in Strongsville.  We are expecting our first grandchild this year!  I love line dancing and you will find me on the dance floor several nights a week.

Brandy Cox

Executive Director of Academics

Email: bcox@delak12.com

It is my pleasure to serve as the Executive Director of Academics at OHDELA.  This is my 10^th year in educational leadership and 18^th year in the field of education.  I attended The Ohio State University to obtain my bachelor’s degree in education. After serving as a middle school math and social studies teacher for 8 years, I continued my education and earned a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from Walden University.  I come to OHDELA with a strong foundation of knowledge and experience in the online learning environment having served as a middle school math teacher, High School Instructional Supervisor, and Junior High Assistant Principal at an online school for 6 years. I believe in building strong partnerships between teachers, leadership, and families. I have an open-door policy and welcome the opportunity to get to know all stakeholders to ensure we are meeting the needs of our students, creating a love of learning, and helping students maximize their potential. I am looking forward to a successful year!

Guiding Quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”   –Maya Angelou

Cathy Blankenship

K-8 Principal

Email: cblankenship@delak12.com

It is my pleasure to serve as Principal at OHDELA this year. This is my 14^th year in educational leadership and my 3^rd year being a part of OHDELA. I attended Bowling Green State University to obtain my Bachelor’s Degree in Education. I went on to receive my Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Dayton. I come to OHDELA with 15 years of experience in online education both as a teacher and administrator. I believe my educational experiences in both brick and mortar and online has afforded me the opportunity to collaborate with diverse groups of people to meet the common goal of increasing student achievement and well-being. I believe all students can learn, given a positive learning environment, strong and knowledgeable leadership, a committed educational team, an encouraging community, and a supportive family.

Lynn Ross

Director of Special Education

Email: ltross01@delak12.com

I am honored to serve as the Director of Special Education for OHDELA.  This is my 25^th year in education of which 18 have been spent in the online learning environment.  I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Cleveland State University and hold a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction as well as Educational Leadership.

I love the individualized format we can offer students with a disability in the virtual setting. As a Special Education Director, I work with teachers and staff to develop effective special education programs that are embedded with best practices aimed at meeting the unique learning needs of each student.

I live in Sharon Township with my three children. I am an avid yogi and enjoy the mental and physical aspects of practicing and challenging myself daily.

Katona West

Director of Operations

Email: kdwest01@delak12.com

I am excited to be part of the OHDELA team as the Director of Operations. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Family and Child Development from the University of Akron and my MBA with a specialization in Human Resources from Ashland University. I have over 20+ years of experience in Operations. My career started in corporate, and I have always been passionate about education. Previously, I worked as an instructor for an adult learning program that assisted adult learners with obtaining their diplomas and as a math tutor for grades 3-12. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling with my family and eating at diverse restaurants. I am especially proud of my son who served this country as a United States Airman and my teenage daughter who is pursuing a BA in Accounting and Finance.