As the associate superintendent of Jefferson City Schools, Sherri Gibney-Sherman knows that she has to be prepared to handle the unknown.

“There is not and will not be a such thing as a typical day in this role. Every day is an adventure; you have to be ready for whatever comes your way,” said Gibney-Sherman, who has held her position for seven years.

“My job is to support the superintendent and the system staff, so that they can deliver the best instructional program possible to our students. This means doing research, gathering resources, interpreting polices and making sure we are in compliance with federal, state and local policies.”

Prior to becoming the associate superintendent, Gibney-Sherman worked her way up the educational ranks.

“I taught elementary school for 13 years. I also taught at Piedmont College,” she said.

“I worked in the central office of the Clarke County School District for six years and I also worked as a consultant for (the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development).”

After such a long career in the educational arena, Gibney-Sherman has decided to call it quits at the end of this school year.

“I feel very fortunate to have spent the last seven years in Jefferson; we have an excellent board of education, community, staff and students. I have been able to be productive and help guide JCS toward increasing student performance each year that I have been here. There’s still room for growth, it’s just someone else’s turn,” she said.

“I am proud of what we have done and where we have moved in the past seven years. It really is pretty amazing when I stop and look back. Teachers didn’t even have e-mail when I got here.”

Although she won’t have an official position with the school system, Gibney-Sherman will continue to be a familiar face even in her retirement.

“The board has asked me to help lead the charter system petition process on a consultant basis, which is very exciting to me,” Gibney-Sherman said.

“I will work to get the petition submitted by November, and then if approved, prepare the implementation grant for the district. I feel honored to be asked to continue in this capacity. I have too much energy to stop now, I will just redirect it into learning more about new things.”

Besides being able to spend more time with her family, Gibney-Sherman says she is looking forward to a host of new challenges in her retirement.

“I have already signed up for 10 triathlons; that is my new found sport that I really like. And my husband, Ken, and I have been asked to co-lead a bike trip in North Carolina in October,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to being able to exercise at a time other than 5:30 a.m., which I have done for the past 25 years.”