Greetings Columbians:

I’ve been given the opportunity to serve as the Interim Principal at Rainier Jr. Sr. High School.  I’m looking forward to meeting you and getting to know you.  I previously worked for the Rainier School District from 1980 – 2008.  I started my teaching career as a 6^th grade teacher at Hudson Park.  The Briarcliff complex was still being completed.  I taught at HPE for 9 years and then transferred to Rainier Middle School to teach primarily science.  I also coached fastpitch for about 10 years and taught theater arts at RHS.  In 1999 I was given the opportunity to be the principal at RMS until that building closed.  I was then transferred back to HPE and continued my career as the principal there until 2008.  From 2008 to 2017 I worked for two different school districts as their Superintendent of Schools, retiring in 2017.  Since that time, I have worked for a major international airline and since the pandemic have also substitute taught in various districts.  

I graduated from George Fox University, (it was a college back then), in 1978 with a B.S in Education.  When I transitioned to administration, I completed my M Ed from Washington State University in Vancouver with a focus on Educational Administration and Curriculum.  I continued at WSU completing the Superintendent’s Cohort program.  

My wife, Connie, and I have been married for 44 years.  She taught in Kelso for 31 years a mixture of primary grades and Life Skills-Special Education.  Since that time, she has worked for Girl Scouts of Western Washington and most recently just retired after 6 years, from Cowlitz County Child Advocates, (formerly CASA) in Longview.  She is now officially retired but continues to volunteer with Columbia County CASA and is involved with the non-profit service organization, Altrusa, in Cowlitz County. We have two grown daughters, both married and one amazing granddaughter who is 4.

I have always been grateful for the opportunity afforded me in Rainier and for the generations of families in this community I have worked with.  I’m looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones.

Rainier Jr. Sr. High School will continue to be a safe learning environment where everyone, staff and students will have the opportunity to succeed.  Feel free to reach out with questions and concerns.  I’m always willing to listen.  Once I get organized, I hope to have a meet and greet for parents, families and the community.  We are all part of the solution to making the Rainier School District the best it can be.

Sincerely,

Russell D Pickett

Principal  /  Rainier Jr. Sr. High School