Administration

Dr. Brad Yates became Superintendent of Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District in July of 2019 after serving five years as Assistant Superintendent of Bluffton-Harrison M.S.D.  Prior to serving as Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Yates served as Business Manager and Transportation Director for the district from 2011 to 2014.  He began his teaching career as a vocational business education teacher at Bluffton High School in 2006.  Throughout his teaching career, Dr. Yates coached boys' basketball at various levels from 2004-2010 and girls' basketball in 2010-2011. 

Dr. Yates, a 2002 graduate of Bluffton High School, earned his Bachelor's Degree in Business Education from Ball State University in 2006. He earned his Master of Science in Administrative Leadership from Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne in 2009.  In 2018, Dr. Yates earned his Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Leadership from Indiana State University.

Throughout his career in school administration, Dr. Yates has served as the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Finance Chair of the School Employees’ Benefit Trust from 2014 through present, and he continues to serve as a Trustee and legislative liaison for the Trust.  As an active member of professional organizations in the state, Dr. Yates maintains membership with the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, Indiana School Boards Association, Upper Wabash Valley Superintendent Study Council, and the Indiana Association of School Business Officials (IASBO).  Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, he has served as the Chairman for the Upper Wabash Valley Superintendent Study Council.  

As part of IASBO, Dr. Yates completed the Chief Business Officer certification program in August of 2013.  In 2018, he was named the Region 3 IASBO School Business Official of the Year.  In addition, he served on the Board of Directors for IASBO as the Region 3 Director from 2018 to 2022.  Currently, Dr. Yates serves on the IASBO Human Resources & Management Research Committee and the Legislative Committee for the organization.

Locally, Dr. Yates has served on the Board of Directors for Bluffton Regional Medical Center since 2019.  In addition for over a decade (2012), Dr. Yates has served on the Board of Directors for the Bluffton-Southern Wells Dollars for Scholars.  As a representative of BHMSD, he has served on the Wells County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.  Beyond the duties as superintendent, Dr. Yates assists future educational leaders through his efforts as an adjunct faculty member teaching school finance at Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Dr. Yates and his wife, Jessica, live in Bluffton with their four children, Bailey, Addison, Deacon, and Liam.

Mrs. Julie Meitzler became Assistant Superintendent of Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District in July of 2019. Previously, Mrs. Meitzler taught grades two-four, was an Assistant Principal at Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School, and Principal at Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School for nine years. Mrs. Meitzler’s has served BHMSD in various capacities for 38 years.

Mrs. Meitzler earned a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Ball State University in 1986 and has since earned her Master's Degree and obtained her Administrator's License from IPFW. In 2003, Mrs. Meitzler received the IPFW School Administration Award.

Mrs. Meitzler resides in Bluffton as an active member of the community. She has served on the United Way of Wells County Board and the Wells County Public Library Board. Mrs. Meitzler currently serves on the Park Center Board of Directors and the Imagine Early Board for Wells County. Additionally, Mrs. Meitzler is a member of the Indiana Association of School Principals and has served as an officer for District 3 where she was named district principal of the year in 2017.

Julie resides in Bluffton with her husband, Mike. She is a mother of two grown children and a grandmother to two grandchildren.  Mrs. Meitzler enjoys golfing and reading great books!

Steve Baker began his career at BHMSD in 1985 teaching high school math and coaching for eleven years.  Mr. Baker then spent three years as the middle school assistant principal before becoming the high school principal in the fall of 1999.
Mr. Baker earned his undergraduate degree in secondary mathematics from Bethel College, his Master's in Education from IPFW, and his license in secondary administration from IPFW.

Mr. Baker has served on the executive board of the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) since 2008. He has also served on numerous education committees with the Indiana Department of Education including Educator Evaluation Cabinet, A-F Accountability Panel, Governor’s Educational Roundtable, Superintendent Principal Advisory Council, and the ISTEP Replacement Panel.  He has also severed as the National Association for Secondary School Principals State Coordinator for Indiana for since 2014.  

Mr. Baker was named the Indiana Association of School Principal Indiana State Principal of the year in 2012. Bluffton High School has been named a 4-Star school for five years.

He resides in Bluffton with his wife, Loni, who is also a lifelong educator. They attend Hope Missionary Church. Their children are Nathan Baker (wife – Whitney) and Amy Baddley (husband – Jonathan).

Stacy Herrold joined the Bluffton-Harrison MSD staff in 2011 where he taught first grade for five years. Mr. Herrold transitioned to the middle school in 2016, where he taught sixth grade science for three years. Throughout his teaching career, Mr. Herrold coached baseball at various levels and served as the Head Baseball Coach from 2016-2019.

Mr. Herrold graduated from IPFW in 2009 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. He earned his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from IPFW in 2018.

Mr. Herrold and his wife Andrea have two children, Finlay and Hayden.

Schlaura Linderwell joined the Bluffton-Harrison MSD staff as the district’s Aquatic Director and Head Boys Swimming and Diving Coach in 2001. Mrs. Linderwell served as the Assistant Principal at Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School from 2013 to 2019 and was named Principal in July 2019.

Prior to coming to Bluffton, Mrs. Linderwell taught physical education/health and coached swimming at Lake Central High School from 1999-2001.

Mrs. Linderwell earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and Health Education from Indiana University in 1998, a Master’s Degree in Sports Psychology from Ball State University in 2001, and received her license in Educational Leadership from IPFW in 2011.

Mrs. Linderwell and her husband, Steve, have four children, Annika, Griffin, Graham, and Kianna.  

Stacy Morrison joined the Bluffton-Harrison MSD staff as a business education teacher at the high school in 1996. Mrs. Morrison coached softball from 1996-1999 and volleyball from 1996-2001 and 2018-2023. Mrs. Morrison has also served as the Business Professionals of America advisor from 2004-2009 and has served as a co-advisor to the Bluffton High School Student Council since 2003.

Mrs. Morrison earned her Bachelor's Degree in Business Education from Saint Francis College in 1995, a Master's Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision in 2008, and her Director of Career and Technical Education license in 2009 from Ball State University.

Mrs. Morrison and her husband, Jason, have two daughters, Hunter and Zoe.

Chad Grieser has been with BHMSD since 2007 and has served in a variety of roles. Mr. Grieser has served as a high school English Language Arts teacher, high school boys basketball coach, high school girls and boys golf coach, high school student council representative, high school assistant athletic director, and the BHMS student support specialist and middle school athletic director.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in communication arts from Defiance College, as well as his master’s degree in education. He earned his administration licensure from Ball State University.

Mr. Grieser and his wife Amy live in Bluffton and have three sons: Gavin, Gibson and Declan.
 

Erin Roush joined BHMSD in 2011 and has 13 years of experience teaching in the classroom and leading educators. During the 2023-2024 school year, Mrs. Roush taught third grade at BHES, and she has previously taught in kindergarten, first and fourth grades, and the Reach Room. Mrs. Roush was also involved in the Bluffton girls basketball program as a JV and middle school coach in 2011 and 2020. 

Mrs. Roush earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education from Ball State University in 2010. She then earned her Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Ball State in 2019.

Mrs. Roush and her husband, Travis, live in Warren with their three children, Sam, Emma and Ben.

Steve Thompson joined the Bluffton-Harrison MSD staff as a business education teacher at the high school and middle school in 2001. In July 2006 Mr. Thompson was named Athletic Director. He began coaching in various capacities beginning in 1992 including three years in football, two years in baseball, and nine years in basketball.

Mr. Thompson earned his Bachelor's Degree in Business Education from Ball State in 2001, a Master's Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision in 2005, and completed an administrative internship at the high school and elementary school during the 2005-2006 school years.  

Eric Mounsey joined Bluffton-Harrison MSD staff as an administrative assistant at the elementary school in 2009. Mr. Mounsey earned his Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Social Studies from Ball State in 2009 and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Ball State University in 2015.

Mr. Mounsey spent four years as the elementary school assistant before becoming the administrative support for alternative education programming in the fall of 2013. In the fall of 2015, he became the director for the alternative program at the high school.

Mr. Mounsey and his wife, Jill, live in Wells County. They have two sons, Lev and Jace.