Submitted by San Juan Island School District

San Juan Island School District is pleased to announce the selection of the new secondary school principal to begin in July in time for the next school year. He will be the principal of both Friday Harbor Middle School and high school.

Martin Yablonovsky and his family will be moving to the island from Salt Lake City, Utah. Yablonovsky has served for the past 14 years as an administrator in Salt Lake City School District. Of his nine years of teaching, his favorite years were teaching in rural Alaska.

Yablonovsky is known to be a dynamic and dedicated leader. He had the following to say about teaching:

“My professional goal is to serve as principal in a rural school, and I would enjoy putting my 22 years of experience in rural and urban public schools to work serving the San Juan Island community. A variety of experiences has built in me a strong educational vision that can be summarized in a few core beliefs; I believe in being part of the community, I believe in building teams to serve individuals, and I believe every student can learn.

“I have loved what I have read and learned about San Juan Island and can envision my family living there happily. To say I am excited and honored to serve as principal of Friday Harbor Middle and High Schools is an understatement. During the rigorous interview process, I was impressed with the quality of the staff, parents, and community members with whom I connected. However, it was while observing the camaraderie and spirit of the students during the student-led tour that I knew I wanted this job.”

Yablonovsky’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Arts in math education with a minor in physics from Brigham Young University; a Masters in Educational Leadership from Bringham Young University; and an MBA from the University of Utah.

“To date, my career in education has been a grand adventure,” Yablonovsky said. “My family and I are thrilled to be able to continue the adventure on San Juan Island. I look forward to bringing every resource at my disposal to serving the students, parents, staff, and community of San Juan Island Schools.”

Yablonovsky and his wife Carmen have three children — Isaac, 20; Ingrid, 13; and Briar, 10; as well as a cat named Pearl (no age given).

Superintendent Kari McVeigh expressed her appreciation for the experience that Yablonovsky brings to the district.

“We are happy to have hired such a positive and inspiring new administrator to our community,” McVeigh said. “Welcome, Martin!”