Skura settles in as new athletic director at New Kensington-Arnold School District

By: Michael Love
Thursday, July 17, 2025 | 8:46 PM

Whether through his work in athletic administration, as a high school volleyball coach or in public relations and sports journalism at various media outlets in the region, Joseph Skura brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to New Kensington-Arnold School District as its new athletics and activities director.

“I feel very blessed to be selected for this position,” Skura said Thursday afternoon as he continued to settle into his new positions. “I am really looking forward to getting more comfortable with all of my responsibilities.

“Everyone here has been nothing but friendly and supportive. I feel like I’ve known everyone forever, and I’ve only just met them. It just felt right as soon as I joined the team.”

Skura, who has served athletic director tenures in the Juniata County, Bishop Carroll, and Ligonier Valley school districts, begins his new role a short time after Kim Johnson scaled back her duties within the district.

She stepped away from her athletic director position at the end of the school year. The school district had announced that it was moving to a full-time position of athletics and activities director.

NKASD superintendent Dr. Christopher Sefcheck said he is pleased Johnson will remain an integral part of the district as a teacher and also the head coach of the boys and girls swim teams.

In the spring of 2022, Johnson served as the interim athletic director at Valley for a couple of months when Muzzy Colosimo resigned that March.

She also was teaching ninth-grade honors biology and AP biology at the high school.

Johnson worked with the spring sports teams and also advanced work with scheduling, inventory and eligibility. In June, her desire to continue in the position was met with a ringing endorsement from the school board which voted unanimously to remove the interim tag and for her to continue as the athletic director.

It is a job she maintained through her final set of duties last month.

Skura, who also has served as a PIAA volleyball official for the past 10 years, stepped away from his position of director of athletics, communications and transportation at Ligonier Valley in November 2022 to become a producer of two local TV shows at WWCP Fox 8 in the Altoona/Johnstown/State College market.

He remained in that role at WWCP until coming on board at Valley.

The district school board voted to hire him at its monthly meeting Tuesday evening.

“We are excited to bring Joe on board as an integral piece of our evolving cultural growth,” Sefcheck said.

“It’s great to be able to welcome Joe to the Viking community,” school board president Tim Beckes said. “We’re pleased to have someone of his experience come to the athletic director position, and we wish him the best.

“We also want to thank Kim Johnson for all her efforts in helping move the athletic programs forward.”

With the fall seasons fast approaching, Skura is hoping to meet with the fall coaches as soon as possible.

“I really enjoy working in school districts and working with coaches, athletes, students, teachers and the community,” Skura said. “I am looking forward to meeting all of the coaches over the next few weeks and all of the stakeholders in athletics and activities.

“I want to get an understanding of where we are, what are the positives, what are the things we need to work on and what are the immediate needs.”

Skura said Johnson has been helpful in his transition to the district and his fresh responsibilities.

“When Kim took over (at Valley), I was working at Ligonier, and we worked together a number of times,” he said. “She has done a tremendous job with athletics at Valley. I called her when I applied because I never want to step on her toes. I have a ton of respect for her. She is a tremendous coach, teacher and person. She gave me her blessing and said she would help me, and I appreciate that a lot.”

Skura also praised the work and preparedness of athletic secretary April Stone.

“She did a tremendous job of having everything ready for me when I arrived,” he said.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Valley