March 18, 2024 — Two Vestavia Hills elementary schools will have familiar faces in the principals’ offices next year.

In a regularly scheduled meeting today, the Vestavia Hills Board of Education approved Cindy Echols as the next principal of Vestavia Hills Elementary East (VHEE) and Susan McCall as the next principal of Vestavia Hills Elementary West (VHEW). 

Echols and McCall will move into their new roles July 1, following the retirement of both schools’ current principals. 

Echols has been assistant principal of VHEE since 2012, serving under outgoing principal Mark Richardson, Ed.D. She previously served as an assistant principal and principal of Edgewood Elementary School in Homewood, as an assistant principal at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School, and as a teacher at the former Cahaba Heights Community School. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education from The University of Alabama as well as master’s and educational specialist’s degrees from Samford University.

McCall has been assistant principal at VHEW since 2016, working alongside retiring principal Kim Hauser. She previously served as a reading coach at Cherokee Bend Elementary in Mountain Brook, as an instructional coach and teacher at Deer Valley Elementary in Hoover, and as an instructional coach and teacher in Gwinnett County, Georgia. McCall earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Mississippi State University, a master’s degree and administrative certification from The University of Georgia, and an educational specialist’s degree from Brenau University in northeast Georgia. She also worked on the collegiate level as an adjunct professor at UAB from 2015 to 2018.

Echols and McCall both said today they were honored to step into new leadership roles at their schools.

“I’m extremely excited about the opportunity. I genuinely love this school and the opportunity to work here; and the kids, parents, and staff are like family to me. I’m honored to serve in this new role and to take East forward,” Echols said. 

“I’m so honored to step into this role and continue the great work that's happening at West. This school has a historical reputation of being a wonderful place for students, families, and staff. I’m thrilled to be able to build on that reputation,” McCall said.

Vestavia Hills superintendent Todd Freeman, Ed.D., said today that he anticipates both schools’ assistant principal roles will be filled later this spring.