Dawn Phillips will be the new Athletic Director, Brianne Simms the new high school counselor
From Wellsville Central School District,
We are thrilled to announce that Dawn Phillips of Cuba has been hired as the Athletic Director and Brianna Simms of Wellsville was hired as a high school counselor during a special school board meeting on Wednesday. They will start in their new positions in October.
Ms. Phillips comes to Wellsville with a wealth of teaching, coaching and administrative experience that started with her coaching many sports at West Valley Central School from 1998-2006. She then was hired as a middle-high school Phys. Ed. and sixth-grade health teacher at Cuba-Rushford, where she also coached girls basketball and girls track and field. After C-R, she moved on to Campbell-Savona Central where she was the Phys. Ed. teacher and Athletic Director from 2011-2021. In 2021, she moved on to the Jasper-Troupsburg Central School District where she served as the junior/senior high school principal until 2022. Most recently, she worked in the Arkport Central School District as a Pre-K-12 Phys. Ed. teacher.
In 2002, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from St. Bonaventure University where she also received her master’s degree in health education in 2006. She received her School Leadership Advanced Certificate from Canisius College in May 2012. Her certifications include NYS School Building Leader, NYS Health Education Teacher, NYS Physical Education Teacher, NYS Coaching Course Instructor, and Breathe for Change SEL Instructor. She is also a yoga instructor and a Red Cross CPR/FA/AED instructor.
“I am very excited to be joining the Wellsville community. I can’t wait to get started,” she said. “I look forward to building meaningful relationships and working with all members of the community to continue to grow the district in a positive direction.”
Ms. Phillips lives in Cuba and has two “amazing” adult daughters and a “beautiful” granddaughter who she loves to spend time with.
Ms. Simms, a 2006 Wellsville alum, is an accomplished mental health professional with over 16 years of experience in community engagement and 12 years in leadership roles. She comes to us after serving as the Executive Director of NY Child Care at the YMCA of the Twin Tiers in Wellsville and Olean since 2015. From 2022-2023, she worked as a mental health counselor intern for Clarity Wellsville Community in Wellsville and, before that, she was the worked at the Accord Corporation in Belfast as the CAPP Coordinator in 2014 and a residential youth specialist in 2012.
Ms. Simms graduated from Alfred State College with an associate’s degree in human services in 2012 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Alfred University in 2014. In 2023, she received her MSEd in Mental Health Counseling from St. Bonaventure University.
Her certifications and training include being a Darkness to Light (child abuse prevention) facilitator, a Handle with Care facilitator, CPR and first aid certified and annual NYS Office and Family Services training.
“I am genuinely excited and honored to be joining the Wellsville school district. Having gone through the district myself, it feels full circle to now be able to give back and support students in the same community that shaped me,” she said. “I’m most looking forward to building strong, trusting relationships with students and being part of a supportive team that puts children first. I look forward to making a difference, helping students feel seen, supported, and equipped to succeed both in school and in life.”
She lives in Wellsville with her children Alivia, Maxton, and Piper.
WELCOME TO THE WELLSVILLE FAMILY!
