NICEVILLE, Fla. — The Okaloosa County School District has announced that Damian Sotelo, a retired United States Air Force veteran and longtime educator, has been appointed Assistant Principal at Ruckel Middle School.
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Mr Sotelo was born and raised in Midland, Texas, and graduated from Midland High School before beginning a 20-year career in the Air Force. He deployed eight times to multiple combat locations and served as an adjunct instructor for Central Texas College while stationed in Iraq.
He later became an Airman Leadership School Instructor at Eglin Air Force Base, where he was honored as the 2010 Professional Military Instructor of the Year.
His final assignment was as the Senior Enlisted Leader for the Power Production Flight, 77th Civil Engineering Squadron at Kadena Air Base in Japan. In that position, Mr Sotelo led 125 military and civilian personnel across three maintenance shops and oversaw a multi-million-dollar annual budget.
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Mr Sotelo earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Trident University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of West Florida. After retiring from the military, he brought his instructional and leadership experience to Okaloosa County classrooms and has since served in a wide range of educational settings.
He has taught science for the Department of Juvenile Justice in Crestview, Life Science at Bruner Middle School, Earth Space Science at Ruckel Middle School, and Algebra I at Niceville High School. District officials note that this broad teaching background has given Mr Sotelo a county-wide perspective on student needs, curriculum alignment, and instructional best practices.
Beyond the classroom, Mr Sotelo has coached track, basketball, football, and flag football. He has also worked with the Florida Department of Education by serving on three End-of-Course Exam development committees for eighth-grade science.
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District leaders said Mr Sotelo is deeply committed to fostering student success, developing future leaders, and supporting a positive learning environment. They emphasized that the leadership, discipline, and dedication to excellence gained throughout his military career continue to guide his work in education.
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