Paulding County Schools Director of Safety and Athletics David Colvard is set to retire July 1 and East Paulding High School assistant principal Don Breedlove will replace him.

Colvard has been in education for 30 years. He served as teacher and coach in Upson and Peach counties prior to 1987, when he moved to work in Paulding County schools. He served the last six years as the school system’s director of safety and athletics.

However, Colvard said he doesn’t plan to stop working.

“This was an experience, but now I’m going to work in the Risk Management Department for the Georgia School Board Association,” he said.

Breedlove, who has known Colvard for five years, said he believes he has done an excellent job.

“It has been an enjoyable time working with him and I look forward to the challenge of replacing him,” Breedlove said.

Influenced by his “coaches and teachers when growing up,” Breedlove started his career in education almost 20 years ago and has quite a bit of experience to bring to the position as well.

Breedlove has been in the Paulding County School District for the last five years, but he started his career in 1993 as a teacher and coach at Southeast Whitfield High School and later moved to Cartersville High School where he spent 10 years.

Having been a teacher, coach, administrator and athletic director, Breedlove said he is well aware of the issues faced by athletes, in and out of sports.

While Breedlove, who also served as East Paulding athletic director, has worked in the Paulding school system in various capacities, he knows there will be challenges.

“Every new job has a learning curve and this position has a different scope of responsibilities.”

With a couple of weeks until he takes on the full role as the director, Breedlove said he’ll be in a transition period from his positions at East Paulding to his new one.

He said he’ll spend this time meeting with Colvard to coordinate contacts and get an idea of everything he has to do.

Colvard said Breedlove “is already very familiar with the athletic side of the job.”

“Breedlove is very qualified,” Colvard said “He is very detailed, organized and by the book. He’ll come in and take it to a new level.”