NICEVILLE, Fla. — The Okaloosa County School Board has approved Robert Maddens as the new Assistant Principal of Ruckel Middle School.
Mr Maddens, a proud graduate of Niceville High School’s class of 2006, has deep roots in the community. He started his journey in education locally, earning an Associate of Arts degree in Psychology from Okaloosa Walton Community College before heading to the University of Central Florida for his Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
He later completed his master’s certification in Educational Leadership at the University of West Florida.
Maddens began his teaching career in 2015 at Shoal River Middle School, where he taught eighth-grade history and coached football, basketball, golf, and the academic team.
He was named Teacher of the Year at Shoal River Middle School in 2023.
His two children are also involved in education—Vince is a collegiate basketball player at Warner University, and Alex works for the Okaloosa County School District as a Driver’s Education Instructor and Social Studies teacher.
Most recently, Mr Maddens worked as the Dean of Students at Riverside Elementary School while continuing to coach at Shoal River Middle School. As Dean, he gained experience in student support and school administration.
He credits his family, including his parents and his wife of seven years, Petra Maddens, for their unwavering support.
