By Megan Alley
Sun Reporter
Bethel-Tate High School has a new athletic director. 
Evan Shepherd was recently hired as the new athletic director for the high school.
Shepherd will replace former Athletic Director Mark Oppenhiemer, who recently resigned. Oppenhiemer’s last day was May 21.
The Bethel-Tate Board of Education approved Shepherd’s hiring during a special meeting on June 3.
He was hired with a $67,000 salary, effective July 1.
The school board also approved up to 10 additional work days for Shepherd, effective June 3.
Shepherd has served as the Director of Operations for the BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, KY since 2016, according to a hiring announcement from Bethel-Tate Local Schools.
About his new position, Shepherd is quoted as saying, “I am ecstatic to be joining Bethel-Tate School District as Athletic Director. I can’t wait to get started with the coaches, athletes and parents. I look forward to working with everyone to provide a great athletic experience for the students and community.”
Shepherd is from Bethel and graduated from Shawnee State University with a degree in Sports Management.
He currently lives in Bethel with his wife and four children.
In other news from the school district, Hill Intermediate School will have a new principal when school starts in the fall. 
During a special meeting on May 27, the Bethel-Tate Board of Education approved hiring Robert Macleod as the new principal.
Macleod will replace current Hill Intermediate School Principal Matt Wagner, who is retiring after a 32-year career, with 28 years spent in Bethel, according to Superintendent Melissa Kircher.
Wagner’s last day is June 30.
Macleod was hired under a two-year contract, with an $80,000 annual salary, effective Aug. 1.
The school board also approved up to 10 additional work days for Macleod, effective May 27.
Most recently, Macleod was an assistant administrator at Lynchburg-Clay Local School District, a position he’s held since 2018, according to his resume.
Before that, Macleod was an elementary school teacher for several years in the same school district.
Macleod earned his Master of Education, Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona in 2016. Before that, he earned his Bachelor of Arts, Middle Grades Education, Math and Science from Northern Kentucky University in 2008. He attained his Associates Degree, Middle Grades Education from the University of Cincinnati Clermont College in 2006.
Kircher shared her delight about the new athletic director and principal.
“We are excited to welcome Mr. Macleod and Mr. Shepherd to our team. They each bring a wealth of experience that will be a great asset to the district,” Kircher is quoted as saying.
In a previous interview with The Sun, Macleod said that being hired on as principal of Hill Intermediate School is a golden opportunity for him to work in a community with values similar to his.
“To say that I am excited is an understatement,” Macleod said in an email interview. “Bethel-Tate School District shares the hometown feel with the drive for excellence that I am accustomed to. It really feels like home.”
Macleod said that under his leadership, school parents, students and staff can expect a firm and fair person, as well as a positive person with integrity that relies on being truthful from the very start.
He added, “I am not perfect but I love what I do and that is a great start.”
The school district also shared news of two new scoreboards that were purchased for the Bethel High School gymnasium.
The cost of the new scoreboards – $5,000 each — was covered by donations from Papa John’s and Community Savings Bank.
The school district thanked the two businesses and said that the purchase would not have been possible without the “generosity of our business partners in the Bethel community.”