New HVA Principal Excited to Get Started

Highland View Academy (Hagerstown, Md.) recently welcomed Rob Gettys as the school’s new principal. Gettys takes over for Harry Janetzko, who retired earlier this summer. 

Gettys brings more than 28 years of teaching and administrative experience in Adventist education to the academy, serving most recently as the athletic director at Andrew University (Berrien Springs, Mich.). Previously, Gettys served as the athletic director at Ozark Adventist Academy (Gentry, Ark.). 

“While I’m in administration, our goal is to be a distinctly Seventh-day Adventist school, to focus on spiritual growth, and to have such a family atmosphere that every student on campus has no doubt that they’re loved because God is love,” Gettys said. 

Gettys is a major proponent of boarding academy ministry and states that it’s a calling he and his wife, Brandy, feel God has placed explicitly on their hearts. 

“The amount of time that we’re able to spend with our students and staff and the way that we’re able to bond with them is great because we get to do so many more things than just traditional education,” Gettys said. “We really love the atmosphere on a boarding academy campus that is oriented towards family. And so it’ll just be a large family seeking to get to know Jesus better.” 

Visiting churches across Chesapeake Conference and finding new ways to serve the conference academy’s constituent members will be a significant priority for the school, according to Gettys, who says he’s looking forward to meeting new friends. 

“It’s important that we build relationships and spend time together,” Gettys said. “Our touring groups will be seeking to be on different church and school campuses, and our staff, including me, are going to be intentional about developing relationships and having an open door and good line of communication with our entire constituency.”

Getty’s wife, Brandy, is also a teacher and will serve as the middle-grade science teacher at Mt. Aetna Adventist School next year. The couple has two adult sons.