Jeneva Nelson was unanimously hired as the 202425 Hennessey High School head softball coach and as a language arts teacher.

Hennessey’s Board of Education members took the action during their noon meeting Monday, April 8. (Note: future board meetings will held at the usual time of 7 p.m. on the second Monday of the month.)

The board’s agenda called for an executive session to discuss hiring the coach/teacher, but Superintendent Jason Sternberger told members they didn’t need the closed session.

“No one else applied,” he said, then recommended Nelson, who was sitting in the audience.

She will replace Lee Linsenmeyer as the head softball coach.

He has coached softball at Hennessey for five years and teaches history in the middle and high schools.

Linsenmeyer was on the re-hire teacher list presented and approved by the board during an earlier meeting.

The Hennessey softball coaching position was listed on a job site earlier this year.

After that, the parent of a player addressed the board in support of keeping Linsenmeyer.

About New Coach

Nelson has coached softball at the Ponca City Public Schools the last two years and was named District Coach of the Year for 6A schools in 2022, and Regional Coach of the Year for the Oklahoma Coaches Association in 2023. She also coached golf there and teaches sixth grade math.

Nelson was a standout softball player in high school and originally attended Lipscomb University before finishing her career at Southern Nazarene University.

She’s also attended Northern Oklahoma College and owns a bachelor’s degree in general studies from Oklahoma State University. Nelson is also currently attending OSU for a bachelor’s in sociology as well.

Nelson told the KT&FP she is looking forward to moving to Hennessey and said she’ll start looking right away.

The new coach has two children and said Hennessey’s daycare program for employees is big positive for her.

Board Reorganization

The board took care of a short agenda item that called for the annual election of board officers.

It includes the actual changing of seats at the board table.

Vice President Patrick Griffin was elected president; Clerk Dr. James M. Matousek was elected vice president, and after Griffin asked for a volunteer as clerk, outgoing president Luke Lough volunteered.

The other two members weren’t required to move: Amy Charmasson, who was re-elected to the board by district voters this month, and Dakota Semrad, who was appointed to the board in February, and who took office last month.

Brief Meeting/Report

This month’s meeting started at noon and ended at 12:06 p.m.

In addition to the actions listed above, the agenda included the superintendent’s report on the facilities.

Sternberger said “all of the $180,000 LED lighting is in and complete and we received a $12,500 rebate check from OG&E.”

He also answered a question about the addition to the transportation building: “They’re doing well and are shooting to be out of there by the end of this month.”

There were no resignations this month.

Consent Agenda/ Surplus Property

The board’s consent agenda listed 14 items and was approved.

Items included financial reports, bookkeeping changes, software and service agreements, contract with auditor, school picture agreement and these surplus items: 2001 Chevrolet C/T (mini-bus #7) and a 12foot by 5-foot tandem trailer (old band trailer donated to the school in 2010).

At the Meeting

Attending the meeting in addition to the five board members listed above and the superintendent was Timberly Jech, office manager and recording clerk. In the audience were HHS Principal Josh Faulkner, the tech team of Todd Cameron and Rae Fuksa, and Nelson.