Hello My Name Is...

Elliott Powell

I'm really excited to be teaching 7th Grade World History at the Best Middle School in San Marcos! This is my sixth year of teaching and it promises to be my best year yet! I’m looking forward to working with our students and taking them to the next level as we learn how many of the actions that took place in the past still impact our lives today! In addition to teaching history, I'm also the adviser for our school's Model United Nations and Aerospace Clubs!  

Before becoming a teacher I was an officer in the United States Navy for 26 years.  During that time of having more fun than adults are allowed to have, I had the privilege of Commanding four warships, participating in treaty negotiations that helped bring about an end to the conflict in Bosnia, and being the Director of the White House Situation Room from 1999-2001.  I retired from the Navy in 2004 and went to work at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where I helped establish the Situation Room for U.S Customs and Border Protection and participated in various projects ranging from Information Sharing to Pandemic Influenza.  I left DHS in 2009 and joined the Department of Interior where I headed the Federal Consulting Group which helped government agencies improve their leadership development and customer satisfaction skills. During my time with the Federal Government, I was never far from teaching!  Whether training men and women in the Navy or tutoring/mentoring children via government sponsored programs or with my local church, teaching has been a big part of my life!  I received my Teaching Credential at California State University San Marcos in 2014 and was recognized as our school’s “Teacher of the Year” in 2017.