Orange Lutheran names new principal
Published May 7, 2008
Lutheran High School of Orange County has named two new top administrators, incoming Executive Director Gregg Pinick announced last week. On July 1, Assistant Principal Leslie Smith will succeed Pinick, who was recently promoted to the school’s top administrative post, as principal. Replacing Smith as assistant principal will be Scott Fogo, who currently serves as director of admissions.
Smith and Fogo bring to their new roles a combined 31 years of experience in education.
“Leslie and Scott are talented leaders and proven administrators with a strong love for the Lord,” Pinick said. “They understand students and families and work hard to create a great environment for them here at Orange Lutheran.”
Before becoming Orange Lutheran’s assistant principal, Smith served from 2000 to 2007 as principal at Red Hill Lutheran School in Tustin. Under her leadership, Red Hill increased enrollment by 40 percent and developed a strong reputation for offering solid academics integrated with Biblical truths. The school was recently recognized by the Association of Christian Schools International with an Exemplary Program Award for its outstanding technology program.
Smith accepted her new position out of a firm belief in Christian education. “I want to be part of a school whereby Jesus Christ is the reason for our existence, and the reason we strive for excellence,” she explained. “High school years can be challenging and difficult, and I want to help make a difference in the lives of our students and therefore our future.”
A graduate of Pepperdine University in Malibu, Smith also holds a Master of Arts degree in Education, Curriculum, and Instruction from La Sierra University in Riverside. She and her husband Phil, a television producer, reside in Anaheim Hills with their children, Alyssa, Angie, and Danny.
Fogo, the incoming assistant principal, served as a Lutheran science teacher for 12 years before becoming director of admissions for Orange Lutheran in March 2007. He will assist Smith in running the day-to-day operations of the school, focusing on supporting Orange Lutheran’s teachers in the area of professional development and instructional practices, in addition to assisting and serving the directors of the admissions and athletic offices. Fogo and his wife Valerie, a program director at St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Orange, live in Anaheim with their three sons, Micah, Jacob, and Andrew.
Smith and Fogo will join Gregg Pinick, who has been principal since 1997 and was recently promoted to executive director, to form the school’s new administrative team when current Executive Director Kenneth Ellwein retires this summer.
Founded in 1973, Lutheran High School of Orange County is a co-educational Christian high school where students build a sound future with Christ as their leader. Orange Lutheran offers exceptional programs in academics, athletics, and the arts, and is the recipient of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges’ highest accreditation rating. For more information, please see www.lhsoc.org.