District Leadership & Operations

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 has served BHMSD in various capacities for 39 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!

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.

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. He served as the assistant principal at BHMS for four years and was named principal in 2025.

Throughout his career, Mr. Herrold has coached baseball at various levels and served as the Head Baseball Coach from 2016-2019.

Ms. Paige Walker joined Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District as Principal of Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School in July 2026. Prior to joining BHMSD, Ms. Walker served as the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for Oak Hill United School Corporation. During her career in education, she has also served as an elementary teacher, instructional coach, and intervention specialist, leading initiatives in curriculum, assessment, school improvement, and professional learning.

Ms. Walker earned her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Purdue University in 2003. In 2009 she earned her Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Florida Gulf Coast University.

Ms. Walker resides in Blackford County and is actively involved in her community through 4-H and other local organizations. She is passionate about building strong relationships with students, staff, families, and the community and believes that collaboration is the foundation of student success. Ms. Walker is excited to lead Bluffton-Harrison Elementary and looks forward to serving the students and families of BHMSD.

Mr. Kunkel joined the staff of BHS in the fall of 2011 and has taught weights, P.E. and economics. He has served as the head football coach since 2017 and head track coach since 2011.

He is a 2006 graduate of Purdue University with a degree in social studies education and earned his master’s degree in educational leadership from Ball State University in 2013. He earned his dual credit certification in economics in August 2023.

Mr. Kunkel and his wife Danielle have four children who attend Bluffton-Harrison Schools — Cora, Wesley, Eliza and Harrison.

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 more than a decade 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.

Ms. Abi West serves as the executive director of special education services at Adams Wells Special Services Cooperative (AWSSC). Ms. West joined the administrative team at AWSSC in July of 2018, having previously served one year as a special education coordinator in Knox County Special Education Cooperative (KCSEC). While at KCSEC, Ms. West served as an IRCA Autism Leader and Transition Coordinator. Additionally, Ms. West worked as a mild intervention special education teacher for a combined ten years between Eastbrook Community Schools and Marion Community Schools.

Ms. West is a voting member of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE), and Indiana Council of Administrators of Special Education (ICASE). Ms. West also serves on the ICASE Executive Committee as NorthEast RoundTable Representative since March 2024. In addition, Ms. West served as IIEP Stakeholder Representative from January 2019 - June 2021 and ICASE IIEP Stakeholder Representative from July 2021 – December 2023. At that time, Ms. West transitioned to the role of consultant with IDOE and PowerSchool in the development of Special Programs.

Ms. West earned both her master’s degree in special education mild interventions (2010) and Director of Exceptional Learners (2016) from Ball State University. Her undergraduate degree in secondary education – social studies was completed at Indiana University – Purdue University (IPFW).
Ms. Abi West is a Bluffton native with two adult daughters, Shelby and Megan Boyle. Ms. West enjoys gardening and spoiling her finicky felines and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

Scott Ribich has served as the Director of Technology for Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District since January 2001.  Originally from Northeast Ohio, Scott attended the University of Toledo before dedicating his career to educational technology and student athletics.  He was named the Hoosier Educational Computer Coordinators (HECC) Technology Director of the Year in 2013 and has served as the organization's Exhibitor Chair since 2019.

Beyond his role in the technology department, Scott is deeply involved in Bluffton athletics.  He currently serves as the Special Teams Coordinator for the football team and the Assistant JV Baseball Coach.  Over the years, he has also coached basketball, football, and baseball at various levels at Bluffton, as well as soccer at the Fort Wayne Sport Club from 2017 to 2020.

In his free time, Scott enjoys traveling and spending time with his family.  He resides in Fort Wayne with his wife, Amy, a Chemistry teacher at Bluffton High School, and their two sons, who are current Bluffton High School students.

Ben Burman joined the Bluffton-Harrison MSD staff in the fall of 2025 and has coached basketball at Bluffton High School since 2024. Mr. Burman earned his Bachelor's Degree in English Education from Purdue University in 2010 and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Ball State University in 2017.

Mr. Burman has been a teacher and coach since 2010. He and his wife, Amanda, live in Wells County. They have two children, Amelia and Harrison.

Eric Mounsey joined the Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District (MSD) in 2009 as an administrative assistant at the elementary school. He earned a Bachelor Degree in Secondary Social Studies from Ball State University in 2009 and later completed a Master in Educational Leadership from Ball State University in 2015.

After serving four years as an elementary school administrative assistant, Mr. Mounsey transitioned in 2013 as the administrative support for alternative education programming. In 2015, he became the director of the alternative education program at Bluffton High School, where he served for ten years. In the summer of 2025, he was named the Area 18 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Director.

Mr. Mounsey and his wife, Jill, reside in Wells County with their two sons, Lev and Jace.

Mrs. Linderwell joined BHMSD in 2001 as the district’s Aquatic Director and Head Boys Swimming and Diving Coach through 2013. She later transitioned into administration, serving as Assistant Principal at Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School from 2013 to 2019 and as Principal from 2019 to 2026. In July 2026, Mrs. Linderwell was named the district’s Athletic Director.
Prior to coming to Bluffton, Mrs. Linderwell taught Physical Education and Health while coaching swimming at Lake Central High School from 1999 to 2001.

Mrs. Linderwell earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and Health Education from Indiana University in 1998, where she also competed as a Division I athlete on the Indiana University Women’s Swimming Team. She later earned a Master’s Degree in Sports Psychology from Ball State University in 2001 and received her license in Educational Leadership from Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne in 2011.

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

Ben Dailey is a Bluffton High School graduate and lives in Bluffton with his family.

Mrs. McCorkle been with Bluffton-Harrison MSD for 25 years. She is a graduate of Bluffton-Harrison.

Before BHMSD, Mrs. McCorkle served at Southern Wells for 5 years and Kansas City Schools for 1 year.

She has earned her ISNA certifications as well as serves on the advisory board for HPS, and is an ISB advisory board member.
 

Jaci Moser has been a member of the BHMSD team since 2016, serving as both the Childcare Director and a Preschool  Teacher.  Passionate about early childhood education, she is committed to creating a nurturing and engaging environment where young learners can grow academically, socially, and emotionally.

In addition to her work in education, Jaci has coached JV Girls Basketball, helping student-athletes develop their skills, confidence, and teamwork both on and off the court.

Jaci earned her bachelor's degree from Taylor University. She and her husband, Heath Moser, reside in Berne with their son, Eli Moser.
 

Bryon Mayer has over 39 years of experience in facilities maintenance and building systems. He has served with BHMSD for the past 12 years, including the last 2 years as Director of Maintenance. In this leadership role, he oversees all maintenance operations for the district. Prior to joining BHMSD, Bryon worked for 27 years at Dunwiddie Heating, Plumbing, and Electrical, where he specialized in the installation of heating and air conditioning equipment, electrical work, and customer service repairs. 

Bryon and his wife Kimberly have three grown children Kaitlyn, Kiersten, and Bryson who all attended and graduated from BHMSD.
 

Kassandra Osborn joined BHMSD as a substitute bus driver in August 2002 and later became a full-time driver while attending college and raising her family.

She earned an Associate degree in Business, followed by a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, graduating Summa Cum Laude. In 2015, she completed a Master’s degree in Human Resources from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Kassandra was promoted to Routing Coordinator in 2019 and became Transportation Coordinator in 2022.

Outside of her professional responsibilities, Kassandra is actively involved in nonprofit organizations and local charities, serving on several boards of directors.

She and her husband, Ed, reside in Bluffton and are proud parents of five grown children and grandparents to seven grandchildren.
 

Ms. Bricker is a 2013 graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with secondary fields of study in political science and history. She is a 2016 graduate of the Wells County Leadership Academy.

Following a 10-year career in newspaper journalism, she joined BHMSD in 2022 and earned her Digital Marketing Science certification from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2024. She represents BHMSD as a member of the Indiana School Public Relations Association and volunteers in the community by serving on the executive committees for the United Way of Wells County, Imagine Early, and the Wells County Foundation boards. She also serves on the Wells County Leadership Academy Alumni Committee.

Ms. Bricker resides in Bluffton with her son Finn and together they like visiting the Wells County Public Library and enjoying a good board game.

Phil Kurut has been the School Resource Officer (SRO) at BHMSD since 2018, and he has been with the Bluffton Police Department (BPD) since 2013.

Officer Kurut teaches BHMSD students DARE and pedestrian, traffic, and bike safety. He has also provided various safety training opportunities for BHMSD staff. Officer Kurut instructs defensive tactics, active shooter response, and de-escalation tactics for BPD, and he also serves as the Wellness Officer for the department.

Officer Kurut is a proud graduate of Bluffton High School, and he received a bachelor’s
degree from Ball State University. In his time serving as BHMSD’s SRO, Officer Kurut has been able to use his knowledge and expertise to help maintain the safety of the students, staff, and community.