GREAT FALLS — Yenta Jaques has been chosen as the next principal of Paris Gibson Education Center in Great Falls. Jaques will succeed Drew Uecker when he retires in June 2022.
On February 2, 2022, two interview panels composed of faculty, staff, parents, students, and district leaders interviewed candidates from a pool of five applicants for the position.
Jaques has served students and families in Great Falls since August of 2005, when she began her work for GFPS as a business teacher at Skyline Alternative School. She helped transition Skyline to become Paris Gibson Education Center. For one year, she worked to coordinate career technical education for GFPS while she continued to teach at PGEC.
In 2020, she took a leave from her teaching position at PGEC to serve as the interim principal at West Elementary School for several months. She then moved to her current position as principal of Loy Elementary School.
Uecker announced his retirement in 2021, after playing around with the idea: “Everyone that I’ve ever talk to says you’ll know when, and I figured I might as well leave while I’m still on top. I still love my kids, I still love my stuff, but it’s time for someone to come in with new passion and I think Mrs. Jaques will do that. She will lead this building so well. I am very happy."
Jaques said of Uecker, “He has been an incredible mentor towards me . He has been my direct supervisor for 10-plus years and provided me incredible opportunities to grow personally and professionally.”
Jaques says that she has loved her experience with elementary school children and it’s not easy for her to leave them, but feel that now, helping high school students is where she belongs.
