Newton Citizen

COVINGTON - After working in the Newton County School System for 35 years, Deborah Robertson, associate superintendent for administrative services at NCSS, plans to retire at the end of June.

The school system hired Robertson, a lifelong resident of Newton County, in August 1973 as a business teacher at Newton High School.

Since then, she has worn many hats at NCSS.

"When I left Newton (High) in 1988, I came over to the county office as an executive assistant to the superintendent, then as vocational director/assistant principal at NHS in 1995, then to Eastside in 1996 as vocational director/assistant principal, then back to the county office in 1997 as director of secondary education, then spent about three months (in 1997) at Cousins (Middle School) as an interim principal after one resigned right before the school year started," Robertson said in a recent e-mail.

After her brief time at Cousins, she began working in the position that she holds now, as associate superintendent for administrative services.

She only has one thing to say about the reason for her impending retirement, which was announced on a personnel report at December's Newton County Board of Education meeting - it's "time to go."

Robertson doesn't know yet what she will do after leaving the school system, but she knows what she won't be doing.

"I know it won't be cooking, cleaning or working in the yard," she said.

NCSS officials haven't yet advertised for the position, but NCSS Director of Public Relations Sherri Viniard said the system plans to post the position in February or March.

Michelle Floyd can be reached at michelle.floyd@newtoncitizen.com.