Marshall County Board of Education members and county administrators recognized Service Personnel of the Year and Teacher of the Year nominees, and for the first time, Principal of the Year and School Counselor of the Year award recipients during the regular board meeting on Tuesday evening at John Marshall High School. The change of venue was to accommodate the number of faculty and staff nominated for the awards.
Garrett Osbourne, an instructional aide in the ABA classroom at McNinch Primary School, was named Service Personnel of the Year for Marshall County Schools.
Osborne is originally from Tullahoma, Tennessee where he attended Tullahoma High School and volunteered extensively with students with special needs. He formed a particularly strong connection with children with Down syndrome, and it was during this time he discovered a deep passion for serving the special needs community.
After many years working at Nissan/Infiniti, he and his wife, Allie, decided it was time for a change. Unsure where to go next, they closed their eyes and selected two locations on a map- Moundsville, West Virginia, and Bentonville, Arkansas. A coin flip ultimately brought them to a community they have since grown to love.
Osborne explored several different career paths but found none provided the sense of purpose he was seeking. Over three years ago, his wife encouraged him to take a career aptitude quiz, and to no one's surprise, every result pointed toward a future in education. That evening, he applied to Marshall County Schools, and he has been in the classroom, providing a positive influence to all students and our community ever since.
You can find Osborne every morning greeting caregivers and high-fiving students as they arrive to school. He ensures every student at McNinch feels seen, heard, loved, and safe. One of his favorite parts of the job is to help transform a child’s day- turning moments of frustration or sadness into smiles.
Osborne is also a devoted and highly involved father to his daughter, Amelia (15), and his son, Bodie (4). Outside of his professional life, he serves on several committees at Moundsville Baptist Church and enjoys spending time outdoors—hiking, fishing, camping, and making memories with friends and family.
Rebekah Fox, a 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts teacher, student council advisor and multi-sport coach at Sherrard Middle School, was awarded Marshall County Schools Teacher of the Year.
A 2013 Summa Cum Laude graduate of West Liberty University with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary English Education degree and a 2022 graduate of WLU with a Master of Arts in Reading, Fox has consistently gone beyond traditional instruction to foster civic engagement.
Last year, she collaborated with City of Moundsville Parks and Recreation Director John White to organize a community clean-up at Four Seasons Park, centered on the 8th grade theme of being an “upstander.” In Fall 2025, Fox launched Sherrard’s first-ever Literature Fair, bringing together local librarians and West Liberty student teachers to celebrate literacy.
Also, during the 2025-2026 school year, she took over the Sherrard Student Council, spearheading initiatives including:
• A Veteran’s Day program honoring local service members.
• A Thanksgiving food drive for families in need.
• A National Day of Kindness donation drive for the local animal shelter.
Her influence extends into athletics, where she has coached volleyball since 2023 and recently added track and field to her roster. Fox also serves as a coach for Club Gold South and manages the digital presence for John Marshall Girls Wrestling, supporting the historic growth of the county’s first all-girls wrestling season.
Known for keeping families connected through the Marshall County app and student-led monthly emails, she is also the co-creator of “Ramily Feud,” a beloved end-of-year tournament that has become a staple of Sherrard school spirit.
This is the second Teacher of the Year honor for Fox, who previously received the award at Cameron High School during the 2021-2022 academic year. She was also a two-time nominee for the Rita Takach Reading Teacher of the Year in 2023 and 2026.
The Marshall County Schools Principal of the Year award went to Katie Dantrassy.
She is in her tenth year of school administration, currently serving as head principal at Central Elementary School, following six years as an assistant principal at John Marshall High School.
Prior to her leadership roles, she spent nine years teaching English and Special Education at Sherrard Middle School. Dantrassy has been a National Board Certified Teacher for 15 years and continues to renew as an administrator. As a National Board Certified Teacher, she supports the certification process by reading for other candidates and working closely with the local cohort. In addition to her leadership and scholarship, Dantrassy mentors aspiring administrators during their practicum experience. She is trained in LETRS and PLTW Launch and has contributed to SREB literacy science units.
She was recognized as the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Administrator of the Year for 2025-2026 and is an active member of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). Dantrassy has contributed to the field through her work with ETS and other assessment organizations, as well as through professional blogs focused on PLTW and data fluency. Her leadership development includes participation as a fellow in the McKinsey Management Program for School Leaders and recognition as a PLA Distinguished Scholar. She has also participated as a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Scholar, completing a study seminar at Tulane University, as well as completing Poland Personally, a Holocaust education trip with Classrooms Without Borders.
Jennifer Pickett was honored as Marshall County Schools Counselor of the Year.
She is the school counselor at McNinch Primary School. With more than two decades of experience in education and counseling, Pickett has built a career defined by compassion, dedication, and a deep commitment to student well-being.
Now in her 21st year with Marshall County Schools, she has served as a counselor at McNinch Primary School for the past 17 years, where she has become a trusted and familiar presence for students, families, and staff alike.
She began her professional journey after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wheeling Jesuit University in 1999, followed by a Master of Arts in Counseling from West Virginia University in 2001.
Pickett's career started in community counseling, where she developed a strong foundation in supporting individuals and families. In 2005, she transitioned into the school system as a Safe and Drug-Free Counselor, bringing her expertise into the educational setting. Over the years, she has served students at John Marshall High School, Limestone Elementary School, and Sand Hill Elementary School before finding her long-term home at McNinch.
A dedicated professional, she is a member of both the American School Counselor Association and the West Virginia School Counselor Association. She is also a licensed professional counselor in West Virginia and holds national certification through the West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling.
She finds particular fulfillment in working with younger students, valuing the opportunity to guide children during their most formative years. Known for her generosity and compassion, she consistently goes above and beyond to support others, both inside and outside the classroom.
Outside of her professional life, she enjoys reading and traveling. Above all, she treasures time spent with her family and takes the greatest joy in watching her own children, Chloe (16) and Gavin (14) grow and flourish.
Each year service personnel, teachers and administrators vote a faculty and staff member to represent their building as a county contender. Then a committee, consisting of county office officials and previous award recipients, conducts interviews and chooses the county winners.
Osbourne and Fox will go on to represent Marshall County Schools at the state level.
MCS Service Personnel of the Year nominees also included: Holly O’Neil (Cameron Elementary School), Mary Stern (Cameron High School), Autumn Ward (Center McMechen Elementary), Johnnie Wayt (Central Elementary School), Jessica Snider (County Office), Erica McDonald (Gateway Achievement Center), Ben Morris (Glen Dale Elementary School), Shelly Weaver (Hilltop Elementary School), Jeff Coleman (John Marshall High School), Curtis Doyle (Maintenance), Tracy Lightner (Moundsville Middle School), Beth Gilles (Sand Hill Elementary School), Patricia Lagos (Sherrard Middle School), Nathan Lilley (Transportation) and Amy Bonar (Washington Lands Elementary School).
Other MCS Teacher of the Year nominees at each school included: Amy O’Neil (Cameron Elementary School), Tim Brown (Cameron High School), Brian Richmond (Center McMechen Elementary School), Cameron Slie (Central Elementary School), Mike Horan (Gateway Achievement Center), Kim Wood (Glen Dale Elementary School), Stephen Oswalt (Hilltop Elementary School), Carly McElhaney (John Marshall High School), Keith Riggle (John Marshall High School), Ashely Cunningham (McNinch Primary School), Neil McCormick (Moundsville Middle School), Denise Dunlap (Sand Hill Elementary School), and Courtney Morrison (Washington Lands Elementary School).
All Service Personnel Members of the Year and Teacher of the Year nominees were presented with a certificate for being chosen as designees at their respective district locations.