Department of Defense Education Activity

DoDEA Pacific South announces school leadership changes

Mr. Craig Maxey

OKINAWA, JAPAN — April 20, 2022 — The Department of Defense Education Activity Pacific South District announces two school leadership changes on Kadena Air Base effective August 1, 2022.

Mr. Craig Maxey will be assuming the role of principal at Kadena High School. Mr. Kris Kwiatek will transition to principal at Bob Hope Elementary School.

Mr. Maxey is currently serving as principal of Ryukyu Middle School. He joined DoDEA in 2011, teaching middle and high school science and coaching soccer at Robert D. Edgren Middle High School. After serving at the Pacific East District Superintendent’s Office as the Secondary Science Instructional Systems Specialist, Mr. Maxey transitioned into the assistant principal position at Nile C. Kinnick High School in the fall of 2015. He was selected as the principal of Kinnick High School prior to the 2018-19 school year.

Mr. Maxey is a Kadena High School graduate and is excited to return to his alma mater and lead the Panthers.

Mr. Kristopher R. Kwiatek

Mr. Kwiatek has served as principal at Kadena High School since 2015. He joined DoDEA in 2003, teaching in Japan and later accepting a position as an Instructional Systems Specialist in Korea. His experience also includes serving as principal at Kadena Middle School and Daegu High School, as well as working as an assistant principal at Seoul American High School and Seoul American Elementary School.

Mr. Kwiatek was born in Jackson, Michigan and spent most of his childhood in Traverse City, Michigan. Prior to entering the field of Education, Mr. Kwiatek was in the United States Air Force. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in education from the University of Maryland and later went on to earn a master’s degree in education. He also holds a master’s degree from Northcentral University in Instructional and Curriculum Leadership.