Roaring Fork School District announced on Friday new principals for Crystal River and Glenwood Springs elementary schools, as well as one of two assistant principals at Glenwood Springs High School starting in July 2025, according to a school district news release.

Kendall Reiley was selected as principal of Crystal River Elementary School, Lora Smith as principal for Glenwood Springs Elementary School, and Tom Penzel was named one of the assistant principals at Glenwood Springs High School. Each was chosen through the district’s hiring process, which included input from hiring committees composed of certified and classified staff, parents, community members, students, and district leadership.

Reiley has been with Roaring Fork Schools for more than a decade, teaching at Basalt Elementary School for six years and Glenwood Springs Elementary School for three years. She is in her fourth year as assistant principal at Crystal River Elementary. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a master’s in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Denver.

Smith, who has been with Glenwood Springs Elementary School for 16 years, will transition from her current role as interim principal. She began at GSES in 2009 as an English Language Development and fourth-grade teacher before becoming assistant principal in 2012. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University and a master’s in leadership from the University of Colorado.

Penzel has been serving as interim assistant principal at Glenwood Springs High School this school year. His experience includes roles as a principal, high school counselor and capstone coordinator, curriculum director, and classroom teacher. He holds a master’s in education from the University of Colorado Boulder and a bachelor’s degree in history from Colorado College. Penzel will join Principal Paul Freeman and Assistant Principal Gayla Rowe on the GSHS leadership team.

“We are thrilled to have Kendall, Lora, and Tom in these leadership roles,” RFSD Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer Stacey Park said in the release. “Their collective experience, commitment to equitable outcomes for students, instructional knowledge, and extensive time in the Roaring Fork Schools community are important assets in our broader leadership team. We are proud to see leaders develop from within our schools and hope to continue fostering a culture of continuous growth.”

The district will begin the hiring process for assistant principals at Glenwood Springs Elementary and Crystal River Elementary schools immediately.