The Hancock County Board of Education voted unanimously to appoint Dan Enich as its new superintendent.
“My goal is to set a positive tone and direction for Hancock County Schools,” Enich said in an interview with the Weirton Daily Times following the meeting. “I feel that the baton is being passed to me from some great superintendents over the years.”
“We thought it was best to stay within the county,” Chris Gillette, board president, said. “We’re very excited about it. We hope the transition is smooth.”
Enich indicated that school safety and communication will be top priorities when he assumes the new role.
In the same Times interview, he said, ““The Hancock County School System has great students, teachers, administrators, support staff and parents. They have great ideas and want to be heard. I want to hear them,” Enich said. “My goals, regardless of what I am, are to establish a great foundation, evaluate where we are, do it positively and with enthusiasm, adapt to the ever-changing landscape of education, keep our county relevant, and be successful and share that success.”
Enich has spent approximately 30 years working for Hancock County Schools and serving in many roles.
In a 2016 interview, Enich said, ““42 of my 54 years, I’ve spent in the district, either as a student, a teacher or an administrator,” He continued, “Being an educator is something I felt compelled to do.
This appointment has special significance here, too, as Enich graduated from Weir High School in 1979.
He played baseball at the high school and collegiate levels. At West Liberty University, he served as team captain and was named to the All-Conference team three times.
After earning a major in education with a minor in safety education in 1983, Enich taught, coached baseball and football, and served as an administrator at Weir High School for many years.
At the end of his stint as Weir’s principal, he was integral in the planning of Weir’s 100th anniversary, graduation, and reunion events and worked with the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center to establish a Weir history hall of fame.
He then moved on to the Hancock County Schools Board Office, where he served as assistant superintendent and currently is Director of Secondary, Adult and Career Education.
Enich also worked to erect the Weirton Home Grown Pro Athletes sign at the bottom of Weir Avenue. After it was damage, he coordinated with John D. Rockefeller IV Career Center’s Jim Chappell along with welding students Anthony Hernandez, Ryan Speers, and Justin Coble and Cleveland Cliffs Artie Chappell and Cody Davidson.
Beyond his work in education, Enich is an artist in his spare time. He combines his love of athletics with creativity to make meaningful keepsakes out of footballs, basketballs, hockey pucks, home plates, and more. He has painted sports memorabilia for professional coaches and athletes as well as locals, county teams, and student athletes. He has also donated his art pieces to charities, including Make-a-Wish.
In a WTRF interview, Enich said, “People give me a ball and I go for it.” It’s likely he’ll apply that same mentality to his new role as HCS Superintendent.