Mrs. Sara Whitener

Principal

Phone: (423) 476-1160
Email: swhitener@clevelandschools.org

Mrs. Sara Whitener has served as Assistant Principal of Candy's Creek Cherokee Elementary School since 2019.

She previously served as an Instructional Facilitator at Mayfield Elementary School. A native of Northeast Ohio, Mrs. Whitener has taught at both the elementary and middle school levels in three districts, in addition to serving as an instructional coach for grades Pre-K through 5.

Mrs. Whitener has enjoyed working with all types of students and teachers in rural, magnet, and metropolitan public schools. She is a graduate of the Leadership Fellows program through the Chattanooga Public Education Foundation and is a former WTVC Educator of the Week. She has previously worked for the Tennessee Department of Education as an Educational Preparation Program Reviewer, and has served as two-time director of a Tennessee Department of Education Read to Be Ready Summer Camp.

She holds an Instructional Leadership License from Bethel University, a Master's Degree in Curriculum and instruction from Tennessee Technological University, and a Bachelor's Degree in Middle Childhood Education from Mount Union University.

Sara is married to Dusty Whitener, manager of Southland Finance, Inc. They have two daughters - Harper (9), a fourth grader at CCCES, and Hadley (9 months).

Mr. Ryan Swartzentruber

Assistant Principal

Phone: (423) 476-1160
Email: rswartzentruber@clevelandschools.org

Mr. Ryan Swartzentruber will serve in his first year as Assistant Principal of Candy's Creek Cherokee Elementary School this year.

He previously served as an 8th grade math teacher and teacher leader for 8 years, and spent one year as an Operations coordinator at Cleveland Middle School. Mr. Swartzentruber, although teaching experience in Tennessee has been at the Middle School, has a background at both the elementary and middle school levels in his preparation programs in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

Mr. Swatrtzentruber is passionate about building relationships and motivating students to be their best each and every day. He is a graduate of the Leadership Fellows program through the Bradley County Public Education Foundation and has been nominated as teacher of the year in 2019. He brings extensive knowledge from his coaching background of being a Lee University Men's Soccer Coach for the last 10 years.

He holds an Instructional Leadership License from Lee University, a Master's Degree in Curriculum and instruction from Lee University, and a Bachelor's Degree in Middle Childhood Education from Mount Vernon Nazarene University, and is currently in his last year of his Doctorate program at Lee University.

Ryan is married to Ashley Swartzentruber and has a 7 month old, Wren Rose Swartzentruber who he looks forward to having as a thunderbird at CCCES someday.