Kingsolver ES: Administrator Bios

Laura Gibson joined DoDEA in 2000 as a social studies teacher at Fort Knox High School. Since then she has served as a high school assistant principal and elementary school principal. Her first principalship was at Van Voorhis Elementary in 2008. In 2011 she led Kingsolver for three years during which the school earned the National Blue Ribbon Award in 2013. In 2014, Ms. Gibson became principal of Macdonald Elementary where she served for two years before returning for an anchor year at Van Voorhis. Ms. Gibson is excited to be back at Kingsolver, leading the transition into a 21^st century learning environment.

Ms. Gibson is proud of being a former DoDEA student of MacDonald Intermediate and a Fort Knox High School graduate. Having moved from base to base as a child, Ms. Gibson now calls Kentucky home. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, a Master degree in Counseling, and a Rank 1 in Educational Leadership – all from Western Kentucky University. Prior to joining DoDEA, she taught in the state of Kentucky at Elizabethtown High School for 12 years.

Ms. Gibson has a grown son and step-daughter, and was married to Mr. Gary Gibson, who was a principal for DoDEA for a short period of time.

Mrs. Kristi Maier currently serves as the Assistant Principal of Kingsolver Elementary School. Before coming to Kentucky, Mrs. Maier was the Assistant Principal at Amelia Earhart Intermediate School in Okinawa, Japan. Mrs. Maier joined DoDEA in 2016, following seven years of service within the Charles County School District in Maryland. Her career began at Dr. James Craik Elementary, where she taught Special Education for grades K-5 in a self-contained classroom for students with mild to profound disabilities for two years. She then spent five years at William A. Diggs Elementary, where she co-taught Pre-k Inclusion as the Special Education teacher. In 2015 Mrs. Maier and her family moved to Okinawa, Japan. After taking a year off to spend time with her daughter, she worked as a Learning Impaired Mild/Moderate teacher at Bechtel Elementary.

Mrs. Maier grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and received her undergraduate degree from Slippery Rock University with a dual degree in Elementary Education and Special Education. Mrs. Maier then earned her master’s degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, focusing on Educational Administration from McDaniel College in 2015.

Mrs. Maier believes in the power of collaboration; a collaborative school environment is a key to effective teachers and successful students. Mrs. Maier is also a firm believer in open and transparent communication, which builds trust within her staff. Mrs. Maier applies the idea of Reflective Practices with her students to increase self-awareness, develop a better understanding of others, and promote the overall growth of her students’ emotional intelligence. Building emotional intelligence in children is essential to Mrs. Maier because she believes it gives children the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with others and prepares them for their future. 

Mrs. Maier is accompanied by her husband, two children, and two dogs. Mrs. Maier finds peace and happiness in activities that include time at the beach looking for “treasures,” baking, and playing board games with her family.