A Phenix City-based consultant will lead the Troy City Schools through its strategic planning process.

Dr. Rod Hinton, former educator and administrator, was hired by the board on Monday to lead the strategic planning process.

“We’re excited to have him working with us through this process,” said Lee Hicks, superintendent. “He is experienced in the business world as well as the educational world.”

Hinton, who operates Rod Hinton Consulting, met with the board in June to discuss his qualifications and proposal for helping the district define its focus and solidify its strategic plan.

On Monday, the board voted to hire Hinton as a consultant, paying up to $20,000 during the next five months as he works through the strategic planning process.

“The board felt like they would like an outside consultant to come in and help us with this,” Hicks said. “Basically, he will be the one who goes and discusses the plan, meets with the teachers, the parents, the community, and compiles all the information and brings it back to the board.”

Hicks said Hinton’s experience and ability to focus solely on the process will benefit the district. “The amount of time that needs to be invested in this would take too much away from the primary function of other administrators and teachers,” Hicks said.

In other business on Monday, the board also approved a vending, sports and academics partnership agreement between Charles Henderson High School and Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Luverne.

Under the 10-year exclusive partnership, Pepsi-Cola will provide scoreboards for the basketball gym and scoreboards for both the baseball and softball fields. The company also will provide an enclosed trailer for football concessions and other events; vending machines throughout the campus (both for students and faculty and staff); and banners, branding and other marketing materials.

In return, the high school agrees to conduct at least one fund-raising event per school year in which students pre-sell cases of soft drinks and retain a portion of the profits. “Really, we’ve gone from nothing to something here,” Hicks said. “The money this generates will be able to be used for anything, from academics to professional development.

The board also approved several personnel items including the resignation of Natalie Ferraro, middle school English teacher; the transfer of William Moguel, in-school suspension aide, from Charles Henderson Middle School to Charles Henderson High School; and the hires of Ashlie Hansbury, middle school English teacher, Stephanie Kelley, middle and high school library media aide, Donny Barron, in-school suspension aide, Sheree Fox, secretary, and Christopher Blanton, middle school special education aide.

The board meets again at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.