The Lincoln County School Board announced the hiring of school principals for Bogue Chitto and West Lincoln Attendance Centers at a meeting Friday.

Current teacher and assistant baseball coach at Columbia High School Jay Rayborn was selected as the new Bogue Chitto principal and John Shows, current principal of Senatobia High School, was selected as the new West Lincoln principal.

Rayborn graduated from Columbia High School in 1999 and is an Eagle Scout. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi. From 2006 to 2008, Rayborn was employed by Loyd Star Attendance Center. He has been named the Columbia Elementary School Teacher of the Year and the Project Fit National Physical Education Teacher of the year.

Shows graduated as the valedictorian of Magee High School in 1993. While teaching at Morton High School, Shows served as the girl’s basketball coach. He earned the Tate County Administrator of the Year award in 2013 and 2015, while at Strayhorn Attendance Center.

“These two men are innovative,” Lincoln County Superintendent Mickey Myers said. “They are energetic and passionate about what they do, and I am excited about bringing them on board with us.”

Myers expressed how seriously he took finding the right person for each school.

“I’ve told people, this was the most important task put before me in my first 100 days as superintendent,” Myers said. “We advertised at the Mississippi Department of Education and also at the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents and got interest from about 15 people. These particular guys — first off, I’m convinced they are men of integrity and are high character type individuals. They’re both innovative and very passionate about our public school system. They’re both very personable. I’m ecstatic that we have such caliber coming to Lincoln County.”

The principal position at Bogue Chitto became available when Myers took office as the superintendent in January. The position at West Lincoln became available when the current principal, Jason Case, informed the school district he would not be returning for the 2016-2017 year.