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Apprentice School Athletic Department Reorganization
February 25, 2008
Apprentice School Athletic Director Bill Casto has announced that he will retire from the school effective March 3 after serving 16 years as athletic director and 26 years with the shipyard. Taking over his role as Manager, Student Services and Athletics will be former head football coach Phil Janaro, while Keisha Pexton who has served the Apprentice School in several capacities - including craft instructor and women's basketball assistant coach - will take over the newly separated position as Athletic Director. She will report to Janaro.
During his 26-year career at the shipyard, Casto worked in several
different departments in the shipyard. He started in the
Safety Department designing and conducting training programs
primarily for supervision and also spent four years as
Administrator, Education Relations for Training Systems before
taking over as Apprentice School Athletic Director in 1991.
Since 2005, Casto has served as Manager, Student Services and
Athletic Director which has included all the school's
extracurricular activities, including the Student Association and
the Student Services Program along with the Athletic Director.
While directing the Builders into league membership for the first time in school history, he also has led them through complete overhaul of facilities and started the first full-time varsity sport for women apprentices (basketball). His tenure also has produced full-time positions for athletic director, assistant athletic director, sports information director, head football coach and athletic trainer. All of this stands as first-time accomplishments at The Apprentice School.
"I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of the Apprentice School athletic program over the past 16 years," said Casto. "It took hard work and dedication of a large number of people to get to where we are today. I know that the leadership of the program under Phil and Keisha will be in strong hands and the program will continue to move forward. After 26 years of being involved with the athletic program, maroon and gold runs in my veins. I will always be a Builder."
Janaro will take over as Manager of Student Services. He
will have overall responsibility for the athletic program, the
student services program, and all student activities. Janaro
concluded his ninth season as head football coach this past fall
and has led the Builders to 40 wins and was named Atlantic Central
Football Conference Coach of the Year in 2006 after the Builders
went 7-3.
His resume includes stints as head coach at Bethel (Minn.) College, and assistant coaching stops at University of Bridgeport (Conn.), Davidson College, The College of William & Mary and the University of Illinois. Janaro worked in the football division of International Marketing Group (IMG) along with the training of their rookie classes for the professional draft from 1995 through 2000. He was Vice President for Development at Nyack (NY) College from 2000-2002 before coming back to the Apprentice School.
He holds and undergraduate degree in Business and a graduate degree in Business Economics.
"We appreciate the wonderful progress made during Bill's tenure and wish him well in his retirement. We have every intention to continue the positive direction of the program," said Janaro.
Pexton will assume the duties of Athletic Director for the
Apprentice School program on March 4 after serving a variety of
positions for the school. She graduated from the Apprentice
School in 2003 as a production planner apprentice.
A former Lady Builder basketball standout who played two years of professional basketball, one in Finland and one in Australia, she was a member of the first women's basketball team to qualify for post-season tournament action and was an Academic All-American in the National Small College Athletic Association.
Pexton worked for two years as an Electrical Planner on CVN 76 Ronald Reagan before becoming a Craft Instructor at the school for Production Planner Apprenticeship Program in 2005. Pexton stayed with the Lady Builders as an assistant coach until the start of the 2005-06 season where she moved into the role of Academic Coordinator for both basketball teams. Her duties for the Apprentice School changed again in 2007 when she became a Craft Instructor for the Modeling and Simulation and Nuclear Test Technician Apprenticeship Programs and she has been supervising three of the five advanced programs ever since.
A native of Virginia Beach and a Salem High School graduate, Pexton earned her undergraduate degree in Organizational Leadership and Management in May of 2004 from Regent University and her master's degree in Human Resource Development at George Washington University in December of 2006.
"It is truly an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to represent the Apprentice School as the Athletic Director," said Pexton. "In the 15 years that Bill Casto has been serving as the Athletic Director, he has made tremendous developments in bringing the athletic program to where it is today. I'm truly excited to have the opportunity to carry on the momentum that Bill has created.''
