July 18, 2024
Mount Dora’s Marlene Straughan Promoted To Regional Executive Director Region 1
By Kyle Coppola
Mount Dora’s Marlene Straughan Promoted To Regional Executive Director Region 1
Marlene Straughan, a dedicated and long-time resident of Lake County, has taken on an exciting new challenge within the Lake County Schools system. She has been promoted to Regional Executive Director for Region 1, which encompasses schools in Eustis, Umatilla, Sorrento, Lady Lake, and Mount Dora, as well as Lake County Virtual School.
(Principal Straughan talks to the Mount Dora High graduating class of 2024.)
A proud graduate of Umatilla High School’s class of 1997, Marlene’s initial career path led her to the police academy, after which she served as a deputy sheriff with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. However, in 2008, Marlene made a significant career shift, embracing her passion for education by joining the teaching staff at Mount Dora High School. Her dedication and leadership skills soon earned her the role of assistant principal, and by 2017, she had become the principal of Triangle Elementary School.
For the past four years, Marlene has been the principal at Mount Dora High School, where her exemplary leadership was recognized in 2023 when she was named Lake County’s Principal of the Year. Her exceptional contributions to education were further acknowledged when she became one of three finalists for Florida Principal of the Year in 2024.
As Marlene embarks on this new journey as Regional Executive Director, the community congratulates her and looks forward to the positive impact she will continue to have on the schools in Region 1. Taking over her former position at Mount Dora High School is Kyle Bracewell, who previously served as principal of Seminole Springs Elementary School in Eustis. Kyle will lead Mount Dora High School into the 2024/25 academic year with the same dedication and enthusiasm that Marlene has exemplified.
Congratulations to Marlene Straughan on her well-deserved promotion, and best wishes to Kyle Bracewell as he steps into his new role.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
