Beth Blum, 42, has been named the new principal of Indian Land Elementary School.

She replaces David McDonald, who has served as the principal of both the elementary and middle school for the past year.

Blum is currently the principal of North Hartsville Elementary School and will start her new position at Indian Land Elementary School on July 1.

Blum has been the principal at North Hartsville Elementary School for eight years. Before that, she served as the vice principal for one year.

Much of Blum's early career was spent as a seventh-grade language arts teachers and an eighth- grade South Carolina History teacher.

She is married to her husband of 15 years, Buck, and has two children, Andrew, 13, and Katherine, 11. Blum's move to Indian Land was prompted by her husband's new job with URS Division, a nuclear engineering firm that recently opened its doors in the Edgewater Business Park.

Blum said that she met the Indian Land Elementary School staff, including McDonald, for the first time on Memorial Day and is looking forward to working with them.

McDonald will continue to serve as the principal of Indian Land Middle School.

"They seem like great people. David McDonald is a nice man and with his help I hope to continue to lead the school in the right direction," Blum said. "My plans are just to continue the great things he's already started."

Blum and her family are trying to sell their home in Hartsville and then will be looking in the Indian Land area for a new place to live.

"I'm just looking forward to being part of the Indian Land family," Blum said.

The Lancaster County School Board also recently approved hiring Gwendolyn Conner as the new human resource director for the Lancaster County School District. Conner is currently the human resource manager for Thomas and Betts Corp. in Lancaster. Mitch Lucas, the current human resource director, is retiring.