Craig Hatfield Named Chief Operations Officer

The Lakota Board of Education officially approved Craig Hatfield as the District’s new Chief Operating Officer (COO) at its Nov. 10 regular meeting. Hatfield has served as the senior director of business operations for the District since 2017.

During his tenure at Lakota, Hatfield has overseen all facility support personnel, construction-related projects and has provided oversight and assistance with safety and security systems and protocols. Hatfield has also been heavily involved in the Board’s facilities committee. As COO, he will now lead all business operations for the District, including transportation.

“I am honored to step into this new role at Lakota, working in a district that puts students at the center of every decision,” said Hatfield. “The operations team is an exceptional group of professionals and I am proud to work with them every day and look forward to supporting them in my new role.”

Prior to joining Lakota, Hatfield served as business manager for Franklin and Princeton city schools.

“We are very excited to have Mr. Hatfield in his new role,” said Superintendent Ashley Whitely. “He has already done outstanding work, and I am confident he will continue to play a key role in helping us define and execute excellence.”