By Malcolm Butler
Long-time educator and former Lincoln Parish Police Jury Administrator Doug Postel is the new Executive Director at D’Arbonne Woods Charter School.
He will begin in the role effective July 1.
Postel, who was the center of unwanted attention during the final five months of 2022 when he was asked to step down in his LPPJ role and then ultimately voted out in early January despite strong public support, will bring three decades of education and administrative experience to the charter school.
According to Postel, his path to applying for and being hired for the job was a God thing.
“Finally after the fourth person contacted me and told me that they really felt like I needed to apply, I was like ‘Okay, Lord. I think i need to listen because I think you are trying to tell me something.’ That’s why I applied,” said Postel. “I was not looking for anything back in the education realm. But when I opened my heart and my mind and listened, I felt this is what God had for me.”
The Haughton native holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Louisiana Tech in addition to extensive post-graduate work in educational leadership.
Postel’s experience includes one year at Homer High School (teacher), 14 years at Choudrant High School (teacher, assistant principal, principal), 12 years at Louisiana Delta Community College (campus director, dean of advancement), one year at Louisiana Tech University, and almost three years with the police jury.
Postel said he is excited about the opportunity and feels confident in the existing structure at the school.
“In order to be successful you have surround yourself with really good people,” said Postel. “When I did my homework, I found that they have a great team already assembled up there. They need someone to provide them some stable leadership. I think I can do that.
“They have excellent people up there. Because it’s a charter school, the executive director serves more as a superintendent rather than a principal. There are still principal-like duties involved. It’s just supporting the great people already in place to help them do their job to the best of their ability.”
He and his wife, Nicole, live in Ruston and have two adult sons, Chandler and Graham. He spends his free time traveling, reading, gardening and volunteering with a host of community and church organizations. Doug also dedicates his time as the PA announcer for Louisiana Tech football.
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Chartered in December of 2007, D’Arbonne Woods Charter School’s mission and educational focus is centered on improving the quality of public education in Union Parish … one child at a time. DWCS is a Type II charter in rural northeast Louisiana that provides targeted and research based curriculum delivery that meets the unique needs of its students.
It currently has an enrollment of approximately 975 students in grades K-12 served by a faculty and staff of 120. The school is housed in a new, state-of-the-art facility located on the shores of Lake D’Arbonne. It is ranked an “A” school by the Louisiana Department of Education.
