Assistant superintendent retires, replacement named

Trussville City Schools Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Mandi Logan recently retired after more than two decades of service to students across Trussville and Jefferson County.

In the aftermath of Logan’s retirement, Rachel Poovey was named her successor.

Logan, a Huffman High School graduate, earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from Auburn University and later earned her master’s in early childhood special education from UAB. She subsequently earned her educational specialist and doctorate in education leadership from Samford University.

Logan taught for five years at Jefferson County’s Burkett Center before being hired to teach at Hewitt Elementary School. She became special education supervisor in 2006 and later was named special education director. In 2012, she transitioned to student services coordinator and then became assistant superintendent for student services.

“Student services is made up of the support systems that are crucial for the system to function well,” Logan said. “I usually say that these are the services you would not notice until they stopped happening. I have enjoyed being able to grow with this department. I can remember a time when there were around 3,500 enrollment records to work with, and now we are pushing an enrollment of close to 5,000 students. The growth has been tremendous, and I would expect it to continue.”

Logan will now work in an administrative position at a construction company, a field she knows little about. That, however, didn’t stop her.

“I prayed that the Lord would close the door on this opportunity since it was not in my plan,” she said. “Instead, the door kept widening, and it became clear where the Lord wanted me to be. For those who know me, my favorite hobby is learning. I research and problem-solve for fun. If I had unlimited funds, I would be a lifetime student just for the fun of learning. So, it makes me extremely excited to start a career where I know very little about the content and will have the opportunity to learn and grow new skills.”

Poovey, who has served in public education for 26 years at Decatur City Schools, was named Logan’s replacement in June. Poovey was most recently the coordinator of developmental programs for Decatur City Schools. She has also been a teacher, assistant principal, elementary and middle principal, curriculum supervisor and a special education coordinator. 

“These jobs have given me experiences that address most, if not all, facets of education from elementary to high school and central office,” Poovey said. “I have worked with a variety of school systems to train and grow as an educator. My experiences as a parent also help me be empathetic to the community and the needs of the future as I work to create new opportunities in the schools.” 

Poovey holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Alabama, a master’s in mental retardation, and an education specialist degree in administration from UAB.  She earned her doctorate in educational administration from the University of Alabama.

“Reading the [city of Trussville’s] 2040 Plan, I could see the planning for growth and relationship between the city and the schools is strong,” Poovey said. “This job also brings me closer to my family and into a friendly, growing community and will allow me to rekindle some friendships from my childhood. I have lived and worked in a wonderful family-focused community and to make this move for my family I wanted to ensure this would provide them the same or better opportunities.  Trussville City more than exceeds those expectations.”