The Italy School Board of Trustees named Jonathan Nash of Red Oak the new principal at Stafford Elementary at a special meeting Monday evening.

Nash, a native of Dallas, is currently employed at Pleasant Run Elementary with the Lancaster ISD and has been in education the past 13 years. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and a Master of Education in Administration Supervision.

Following a half-hour executive session, the trustees returned with Cheryl Owen making the motion to hire Nash for the remainder of the 2012/2013 school year and the 2013/2014 school year. Paul Cockerham seconded the motion which passed unanimously.

Nash and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. She is an elementary music teacher with the Waxahachie ISD. They have two daughters, Kayli, a fifth grader; Brianna, an eighth grader; and a son, Collin, a first grader.

Barry Bassett, superintendent, said the recommendation to hire Nash came from a committee consisting of Melissa Badard, Jan Shepard, Angie Janek, Leslie Allen and Lee Joffre. He said this committee took their job seriously and gave it a lot of thought, a lot of prayer.