Dr. Jeff Isenhour began his career in education as a middle school teacher at Catawba Middle School and River Bend Middle School. He served for two years as the assistant principal at Sherrills Ford Elementary School followed by six-years as the principal at Balls Creek Elementary School. In 2008 Dr. Isenhour was appointed as the principal at Jacobs Fork Middle School.
Dr. Isenhour completed his Doctoral Studies in Educational Leadership at Appalachian State University. His doctoral research examined the experiences of fathers of sons with autism spectrum disorders and how those experiences influenced views on fatherhood. Prior to his doctoral studies, Dr. Isenhour completed an Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Appalachian State University, a Master of Arts Degree in School Administration from Gardner-Webb University, a Master of Arts Degree in Political Science from Appalachian State University, North Carolina Teacher Licensure from Lenoir-Rhyne University (College), and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Appalachian State University.
Travel is something that Dr. Isenhour enjoys. He believes that traveling abroad is an important experience for both educators and students. Past travel adventures have included trips to China and Finland to visit schools to better understand the educational systems of these countries. He has previously served on the advisory board for World View, an international program for educators, located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition, he is a member of Phi Delta Kappa (PDK), the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
Rigorous and on-going professional development is a key element to Dr. Isenhour's role as a school principal. He has completed the Principals as Technology Leaders (PATL) program and the Leadership Program for Experienced Principals (LPXP) at the Principal's Executive Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition, he has completed the Global Education Leaders Program sponsored by World View at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Most recently, Dr. Isenhour was a 2012 graduate of the Distinguished Leadership in Practice Program (DLP) created by the North Carolina Principals and Assistant Principal’s Association(NCPAPA).
Civic and community service are important to Dr. Isenhour. He has served as the Vice-Chair of the Town of Catawba Planning and Zoning Board and was the Charter President of the former Catawba Civitan Club. He has served as an elected official on the Town Council in the Town of Catawba and is a former member of the Newton Area Council as part of the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Isenhour is a Rotarian and serves as a proud member of the Catawba Valley Rotary Club. Other activities involve serving as an adjunct professor with Lenoir-Rhyne University, teaching graduate classes mostly in the area or research methods.
Dr. Isenhour is married to Mrs. Jo-Nell Isenhour. He enjoys spending time outdoors as a hunter and fisherman, reading, gardening, woodworking, and when possible, the opportunity to play golf.