Alyssa Ridenour
reporter@greenepublishing.com
Personnel Specialist Linda Irvine is employed in the Madison County School District office, carrying out a mission that is critical to the success of the school system within the county. Ms. Irvine has been a resident of Madison County since she moved here from Fort Lauderdale in 1990. While in Fort Lauderdale, she worked in banking. However, after arriving in Madison County, she recongnized a need for help in the education field and became a substitute teacher.
Irvine did a lot of substitute teaching at Madison County High School, and Greenville Elementary School, until she was hired in 1993 by then Principal Larry Alderman, as an Administrative Secretary at Madison Middle School (MMS). She loved her job from the start and enjoyed the opportunity to meet new people and work with children.
Irvine loved interacting with students while subbing and discovered a hidden passion for helping children who were not as advanced as others. This passion led her to become a cheerleader sponsor/coach in 1995 while working at MMS, and later at Madison County Central School, where she continued as a sponsor until 2013. She understood how impressionable young minds were and set out to change the physical image required for cheerleading. She encouraged young ladies to not focus so much on the body type or physical beauty of their peers, but to look within themselves to gain that inner strength and self-love for the confidence needed to attain their goals. “Never compare yourself to others” is a phrase that was often repeated to the young ladies. Ms. Irvine wanted her cheerleaders to be confident and fearless in their own skin. She is passionate about the youth learning self-love, respect for others, doing what is right and doing what makes them happy.
Irvine's dive into the education field eventually led her to where she is now, working as a Personnel Specialist for the district. She is responsible for a large portion of the hiring process for faculty and staff within the district. She is responsible for job advertisements, processing applications, and setting up interviews. Ms. Irvine fingerprints all newly hired employees, sets up drug testing, background checks and sets salaries per experience, based on the approved district salary scale. She is also responsible for teacher certification and certificate renewals.
Irvine is the loving mother of two beautiful daughters and three handsome sons. She has an Associate of the Arts in elementary education and a Bachelor of Science degree in communications. In her free time, she enjoys her quiet/peaceful time by reading, shopping online and spending time with her grandchildren.