Congratulations to these alumni who are making a positive impact on the leadership and administration of education at all levels!
George Abbott, M.S.Ed. Visual Disabilities Program, ’92, served as one of 10 jurors for the 2022 Holman Prize for Blind Ambition. A panel of esteemed blindness leaders from around the world come together each year for discussion and debate to select the Holman winners, who challenge misconceptions about what it means to be blind. Abbott is president and CEO of the Seattle-based Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. He previously worked for the American Foundation for the Blind and Hadley Center, and began his career teaching Access Technology at the Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Hines Veterans Affairs Central Blind Rehabilitation Center.
Tony Arbogast, M.S.Ed. School Business Management, ’17, will begin work July 1 as the new assistant superintendent for Business Services at Oak Park and River Forest High School. Arbogast currently works as assistant superintendent for Business and Operations at Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202, where his responsibilities included overseeing construction of a new elementary school that opened in 2021. During his time in Roselle School District 12, he managed several construction/renovation projects and saved the district several million dollars from original estimates. Arbogast also serves on the board of directors of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials.
Allison Boutet, M.S.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction, ’08, and B.S.Ed. Elementary Education, ’06, was named assistant superintendent of Administrative Services for junior high schools in Naperville Community School District 203. Boutet began her career teaching English language arts and science to middle school students in Kaneland Community School District 302 and Berwyn North School District 98. Boutet later became an assistant principal and principal for Berwyn South District 100, where she led Heritage Middle School for the last six years.
Mindy Bradford, M.S.Ed. School Business Management, ’18, has been named chief school business officer in Libertyville School District 70. Bradford most recently served as executive director of Finance and Operations at Yorkville Community Unit School District 115, where she began in 2017 as director of Business Services. Before her career in education, she spent 25 years in public accounting, internal auditing, budgeting, reporting, variance analysis, risk management and facilities management.
Tia Robinson-Cooper, Ed.D. Adult and Higher Education, ’15, was named chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College’s South Bend-Elkhart campus. Robinson-Cooper previously served as president of Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Calif. Before that, she was provost and vice president of Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer at Inver Hills Community College; vice president of Academic Affairs at East Central College; dean of Teaching and Learning at Rock Valley College; associate dean and dean of Instruction at Olive-Harvey College and dean of Academic Affairs at Northwestern College). Robinson-Cooper also held adjunct faculty appointments at City Colleges of Chicago, Elmhurst College and University of Phoenix.
Shaun N. Crisler, M.S.Ed. Adult and Higher Education, ’08, was named associate provost for Student Development at Le Moyne College. Crisler most recently served as assistant vice president for Residence Life and Housing at State University College at Oswego. He has also worked in housing and residence life at Syracuse University, the University of Chicago and Ohio State University.
Imaad Dada, M.S.Ed. School Business Management, ’18, is the new business manager at Komarek School District 94. Dada most previously worked as an accountant for Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401 and the Northern Suburban Special Education District.
Allison Fox, M.S. Ed. Kinesiology and Physical Education, ’16, and B.S.Ed. Physical Education, ’07, has joined the PE/Health Department at Mendota High School. She had spent the majority of her more than 12 years in teaching at Dixon High School.
Heather Friedlein, M.S.Ed. Kinesiology and Physical Education, ’16, and B.S.Ed. Physical Education, ’12, is the new athletic director at her alma mater Northbrook Middle School in Mendota Community Consolidated School District 289. Friedlein returned to Northbrook in August 2020 as a physical education teacher and girls’ track and field coach. She previously worked in Mendota at Holy Cross, where she also served as athletic director, and Holy Family schools.
Rheon Gibson, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’18, and M.S.Ed. Counseling, ’13, has been named director of Student and Family Services in Troy Community School District 30-C. Gibson most recently was principal of Littlejohn Elementary School in DeKalb Community Unit School District 428, where he earlier worked as a school counselor at Huntley Middle School.
Drew Halbesma, B.S.Ed. Elementary Education, ’02 is the new superintendent of Genoa City Joint 2 School District in Wisconsin. Halbesma most recently served as principal and director of Teaching and Learning in Grades 4K-8 Wheatland Center Joint 1 School District in Burlington, Wis. He previously taught fifth- and eighth-grades in the Burlington Area School District, served as assistant principal (and later as co-principal) at Lake Geneva Middle School and as principal at Lake Geneva’s Eastview Elementary School.
Matthew E. Haug, Ed.D. Educational Administration, ’17, was appointed in August as assistant superintendent for Human Resources in Burlington-based Central Community Unit School District 301. Haug previously served as principal at Prairie Knolls Middle School and Burlington Central High School and as assistant principal of Morton West High School.
Jessica Heybach, M.S.Ed. Elementary Education, ’01; M.S.Ed. Foundations of Education, ’08; and Ed.D. Curriculum Leadership, ’12, has joined the faculty of Florida International University. Heybach is associate professor of Educational Leadership and director of Graduate Programs in Educational Leadership in the Department of Educational Policy Studies. She previously was department chair for Ed.D. programs at Aurora University, where she was the 2019 recipient of the Trumbo Excellence in Teaching Award.
Lisa Hichens, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’96, superintendent of Batavia School District 101 since 2013, has announced her plans to retire after the 2022-23 school year. When she retires, Hichens will have worked in District 101 for 22 years and as an educator for a total of 26 years. She joined District 101 in 1994 as a math teacher at Batavia High School, eventually serving in leadership roles that include dean of students, assistant principal of Teaching and Learning and principal.
James Horne, M.S.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction, ’11, is the new principal of Kaneland High School. Horne most recently served as principal of DeKalb High School for the past five years; he previously served as assistant principal for Curriculum. Before his time in DeKalb Community Unit School District, he worked in the Kaneland School District as an English teacher, instructional coach and department chair.
Jessica Hurt, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’21, is the next principal of York High School in Elmhurst School District 205. She begins in July. Hurt is currently an assistant principal at Hinsdale Central High School, where has served for 16 years. The recipient of the 2022 Assistant Principal of the Year award for the DuPage region from the Illinois Principals Association previously worked at Oswego East and Oswego high schools as well as Monroe Middle School in Wheaton. She currently is working on her NIU Ed.D. in Educational Administration.
Steven Isoye, Ed.D. Educational Administration, ’11, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’02, and M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’99, was appointed by Gov. JB Pritzker to chair the Illinois State Board of Education, effective immediately. Isoye is the retired superintendent of Niles Township High School District 219. He previously served as superintendent of Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200, principal at Maine East High School and Warren Township High School, and department chair at Highland Park High School, where he taught for three years. He also taught at Deerfield High School, Warren Township High School, The Latin School of Chicago and Loyola Academy. His numerous honors include Illinois High School Principal of the Year in 2010, Illinois Teacher of the Year in 1998, Jackson Scholar in 2006, Milken Foundation National Educator award in 1997 and Illinois Science Teachers’ Association Award of Excellence in Secondary Science Teaching in both 1993 and 1995.
Kathleen L. Kiernan, Ed.D. Adult Continuing Education, ’03, was named to the board of directors of the San Diego Harbor Police Foundation. A 29-year veteran of federal law enforcement, Kiernan is a recognized expert in strategic thinking, strategy development, anomalous behavior detection and facilitating critical incident management exercises across government and private sector organizations. She currently serves as president of NEC National Security Systems, where she is responsible for the design and implementation of technology applications for federal government agencies in defense, intelligence, law enforcement and homeland security agencies.
Mindy Kinnaman, Ed.D. Adult and Higher Education, ’21, was named assistant director for Student Conduct at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Kinnaman most recently served as director of Student Life at Front Range Community College in Westminster, Colo. She previously served as manager of Student Life and Leadership Development at Johnson Community College, as assistant Residence Life coordinator at Avila University and in various residence life roles at the University of Incarnate Word and the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Donna Larson, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’16, is the new principal of DeKalb High School. Larson, who most recently had served as assistant principal since 2017, has worked in DeKalb Community District 428 for a decade, beginning as a special education teacher at Huntley Middle School. She assumed her first administrative position in 2016 as dean of students at the high school.
Scott Latiolais, Ed.D. Community College Leadership, ’21, is the new president of Cuyahoga Community College’s Westshore campus. Latiolais most recently served for five years as vice president of Student Success at Clover Park Technical College in Tacoma, Wash. His two decades in higher education include positions at the University of Washington, New York University and the University of Maryland.
Brooklyn Long, B.S.Ed. Special Education, ’22, is the new Life Skills teacher at Hall High School in Spring Valley. This is her first year of teaching.
Molly Manriquez, B.S.Ed. Elementary Education, ’14, is among the 2022-23 Teachers of the Year in the Charleston County School District of South Carolina. Manriquez, a nine-year educator who joined the district three years ago, teaches kindergarten at Pepperhill Elementary School. She believes that relationships are the foundation of solid education, and that students learn best through exploratory play, social-emotional development and engaging and challenging targeted instruction.
Tracy Morris, Ed.D. Adult and Higher Education, ’12, and M.S.Ed. Counseling, ’99, is the next president of Illinois Valley Community College. Morris, who is the first IVCC graduate to be named IVCC president, begins July 1. Her earlier work at her alma mater includes roles as associate vice president for student services, director of admissions and records and counselor and orientation coordinator. Morris moves to Illinois Valley from Joliet Junior College, where she had served since 2018 as compliance officer; before that, she was vice president of Student Services at Illinois Central College. She began her career as a high school teacher before becoming an elementary school counselor.
George Paasewe, M.S.Ed. Higher Education and Student Affairs, ’18, has published “One Day, I Will Become an Alpha,” a children’s book about Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. meant to educate, inspire, and encourage youth of all ages to pursue membership when they get to college. Paasewe, who was initiated through NIU’s Mu Alpha Lambda chapter in the fall of 2018, is the founder/CEO of Educare Publications, a book-publishing company that integrates its publishing services into the classroom and workplace settings. He also is an adjunct instructor at Bryant & Stratton College in Wauwatosa, Wis.
Ben Peterselli, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’11, has been named principal of Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn. He begins July 1. Peterselli, who has served as assistant principal for Instruction since 2021, previously chaired the school’s English department for nine years and taught English at Wheaton North High School.
Lisa Richardson, Ed.D. Higher Education and Student Affairs, ’21, was named executive dean for Student Success and Retention at Waubonsee Community College. Richardson has served since 2019 as the Student Retention manager at Waubonsee, where she began her career in 2016 as the Student Success manager for the Connect4Success program. Previously, she served as the assistant director of the Purdue Promise Program at Purdue University for four years. She began her career in education as a high school language arts teacher in Indiana.
Lucas Schultz, M.S.Ed. Kinesiology and Physical Education, ’08, has joined the Science Department at Hall High School in Spring Valley this fall. Schultz previously taught science for eight years at Bureau Valley High School.
Kelli Sinclair, M.S.Ed. Counseling, ’95, is the new vice president of Student Services at Lincoln Land Community College. Sinclair most recently served as executive dean for Student Success and Retention at Waubonsee Community College. She previously served as associate dean of Enrollment Management at Elgin Community College and as associate/interim director of University Admissions at Aurora University. A peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission, Sinclair also has taught college classes in disability studies and psychology.
Erin Slater, Ed.D. Educational Administration, ’18, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’10, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’95, received a three-year contract extension from the Fort Madison Community School District in Iowa. Slater, who is beginning her seventh year as superintendent, received the Iowa State Education Association TEAM Award in 2018, and served as vice chair for Executive Leaders with the School Administrators of Iowa. She previously was assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in School District 45 in Villa Park, Ill., and from 1991 to 2014, she served in various roles in West Aurora School District 129.
Craig Winkelman, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’00, begins May 1 as the next superintendent of Barrington School District 220. The deputy superintendent since November 2021 previously served as assistant superintendent of K-12 schools and operations, overseeing efforts such as Build 220, Equity 220, Framework 220 and Safety 220. His career began in 1997 as a special education teacher at Barrington High School, later becoming assistant principal at Barrington Middle School-Station. He spent two years as a principal in Community Consolidated District 15 before returning to Barrington in 2006 as principal of BMS-Station.
If you’re a College of Education grad with news to share, please let us know – and send a photo! Our email address is ceduEdNews@niu.edu.
