Panther Spotlight 8: Aaron Reed & Ben Lippert

Cabot Public Schools is proud to present, “Panther Spotlight.” This feature puts the spotlight on faculty and staff that are making a difference in the lives of our students every day.

Throughout the school year, we'll recognize our outstanding certified and classified employees.

This week, “Panther Spotlight” is proud to recognize Assistant Director of Custodial Services Aaron Reed and the Head of the Social Studies Department at Cabot Junior High North Ben Lippert.

Name: Aaron Reed

Title: Assistant Director of Custodial Services

How long have you been with the Cabot School District?  I am in my 11th year as an employee of the Cabot School District.

Describe your job? One of my major responsibilities is to coordinate with custodial staff and work with administrators to ensure the safety of our students and district employees while also ensuring the cleanliness of our facilities.

You started off as a custodian. What is it like now that you're the Assistant Director of Custodial Services? It is a whole new world.  There are so many different aspects to this job that I never really imagined.  From paperwork to personnel, I never stop learning and preparing for the future of our department.

What is it that you love about your job? I love the people. We have such and amazing, wonderful, and hardworking staff.  I appreciate the opportunity to work with the devoted people around our district who do their utmost for kids. 

Why do you love working for the Cabot School District? Having attended Cabot Schools as a student for eleven years, I have a strong connection to our schools.  I strive to work hard to see our district succeed for future students.  There is no place I would rather be.

What did you do before working at the Cabot School District? I started working for the Cabot School District after my freshman year of college.  Prior to that, I pushed carts for six months at Walmart and worked at McDonalds for two and a half years while in high school.

Please share any memorable or favorite moments? Many of my memorable moments come from when I worked on the district moving crew in the summers.  I met some of my best and closest friends during that time.  I also have many fond memories with students and staff at ACE/ALE, Stagecoach, and Panther Arena. (the three buildings I worked in prior to this position). Between high fives with second graders, playground snake wrangling, state tournaments, proms, and many other events, there is no shortage of memorable moments.

How did you get into this field? In the summer of 2006, my mother-in-law told me that the Custodial Department was hiring for summer help.  That was the year the High School Complex opened.  I spent the summer on the district moving crew, moving new furniture and teacher's belongings into the new building.  I spent the 2006-2007 school year as a custodial sub and was offered a contracted position in the summer of 2007.

If you weren't in the custodial services field, what would you be doing? I majored in Political Science at UCA.  If I were not in this field, I would pursue a career in government.

Please share a motto or saying you live by? "We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle

Can you please share a fun fact about yourself? My wife, LeeAnn, and I are avid Kansas City Royals fans.  This past summer we flew to Boston and watched them play against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. 

What is something someone would be surprised to know about you? I enjoy reading Comic Books.

What do you like to do in your spare time?  In my spare time I enjoy reading, playing Xbox, and playing golf.

Anything else you'd like to add?  I am honored to be selected for Panther Spotlight.

Bill Holden, Director of Custodial Services:  Aaron Reed has recently been promoted to Assistant Director of Custodial Services and has shown to be a great asset for our department. He has been with the school district for 10 years. He is very dependable and honest and seems to be very respected by his co-workers. He never meets a stranger and he gets along with everyone he meets with a smile and a big "How is your day going so far." Aaron is a good worker with a great attitude towards his job and is willing to do whatever is asked of him and does it in a professional manner. It's great to be able to work with him daily.

Name: Ben Lippert

Title:  Teacher, Head of the CJHN Social Studies Department

How long have you been with the Cabot School District? This is my 9th year teaching fulltime in Cabot.  I started subbing with the district in the fall of 2006.

Describe your job? I teach regular and Pre-AP World geography to 7th graders and US History to 8th graders.  I am also head of the Social Studies Department at CJHN.

What is it that you love about teaching social studies? I love the lessons we can learn from social studies. I love the people we learn about in social studies. There is so much we can learn by studying history, not just for a class but for life itself.  I find it fascinating to learn of the decisions of men and women who have changed our world.  And I find it a privilege to be able to hopefully inspire young minds to make a difference in our world today.

Why do you love working for the Cabot School District and for CJHN? I appreciate the camaraderie and family atmosphere at my school.  I get so much support and encouragement from my colleagues.  We all help pick each other up.  What I love most is working with the kids. I enjoy challenging their minds and watching them grow in knowledge and in the confidence that they will be successful.  Those little lightbulb moments where they finally get something that they've been struggling with is one of the best feelings in the world.

What did you do before working at the Cabot School District? I was a teacher, coach, and principal at St. James Lutheran School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Please share any memorable or favorite moments? One of my favorite moments at CJHN was sponsoring our canned food drive.  We held a contest for the classrooms that if they brought enough cans, they could “pie” their teacher.  My class made it.

How did you get into this field? It has been the family business. My father and mother were both involved in education. My older sister and brother have both been educators as well.  It's what we do.

If you weren't a teacher, what would you be doing? I would be delivering the mail.  Something about the solitude and long walks speaks to me.

Please share a motto or saying you live by? “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Can you please share a fun fact about yourself? A punny fact about me is that I love play on words also known as puns.

What is something someone would be surprised to know about you? At birth I was choking on my umbilical cord. Doctors had to do an emergency C-section. The nurses in ICU voted me the cutest baby in the nursery.  It's been all downhill from there.

What do you like to do in your spare time? When I am not cheering on my Green Bay Packers, I enjoy playing with my boxers.  My wife and I also have done a lot of work with boxer rescue groups.

Charlotte Sandage, Cabot Junior High North Principal:  Mr. Lippert is considered the "E.F. Hutton" of Junior North. When he speaks everyone listens. The staff respects what he has to say. He is a valuable asset to the Cabot School District.  

Panther Spotlight: Aaron Reed

Panther Spotlight: Ben Lippert