Congratulations to these alumni of the NIU College of Education!
Stacey Bachar, M.S.Ed. School Business Management, ’98, is the new assistant superintendent of Finances and Operations in Libertyville School District 70. Bachar comes to Libertyville after 16 years in Aptakisic-Tripp School District 102, where she held the same position. Previous roles in school finance took place in Palatine Community Consolidated School District 15, Glen Ellyn School District 41 and Lombard Elementary District 44.
Robert Beckwith, M.S.Ed. School Business Management, ’93, has joined Iowa’s Bettendorf Community School District as director of Finance and Business Services. Beckwith formerly was the chief financial officer for the Rock Island-Milan School District. He previously held finance and business roles in school districts across Illinois, including Sandwich, Naperville, Downers Grove and Lemonth-Bromberek.
Mindy Bradford, M.S.Ed. School Business Management, ’18, joined Community Consolidated Elementary District 181 as assistant superintendent of Business and Operations. Bradford most recently was chief school business officer in Libertyville School District 70. She previously 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.
Sholondo K. Campbell, M.S. Sport Management, ’05, is the new dean of students at Lynn University. He previously served as director of Student Engagement and retention initiatives at Florida Southwestern State College, with another nine years at Nova Southeastern University managing student affairs for their seven regional campuses across Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Campbell’s team also supported students engaged in online learning environments, domestically and internationally.
Matt Cascio, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’08, will begin work Oct. 10 as the interim superintendent of Genoa-Kingston School District 424. Cascio, principal of Genoa-Kingston High School since 2020, previously served for six years as principal of Harlem Middle School in Harlem Consolidated School District 122. Before that, he worked for more than 15 years in the Rockford Public Schools, including as assistant principal at Guilford High School and academy principal at Jefferson High School.
Matt Clark, Ed.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, ’20, and Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’17, was named principal of Thompson Middle School in St. Charles Community Unit School District 303. He previously served as assistant principal of Gregory Middle School in Indian Prairie School District 204; other professional roles have included teacher, dean, coach and coordinator of Curriculum and Professional Development.
Leonard E. Clemons, M.S.Ed. Adult Education, ’11, began work July 10 as vice president of Student Affairs at Austin Peay State University. Clemons previously served as associate vice provost for Student Success at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Previous roles include assistant dean of students at the University of Chicago, assistant dean for Student Services at the University of Miami and interim director of Student Life at Miami Dade College.
Cindie Cortinas-Vogt, M.S.Ed. Kinesiology and Physical Education, ’12, was named Elementary P.E. Teacher of the Year by the Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Cortinas-Vogt, who teaches at Washington Elementary School in Elgin School District U-46, will receive the award in November at IAHPERD’s state convention.
Laura C. Edwards, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’10, was appointed Career and Technical Education curriculum coordinator at West Aurora School District 129. She coaches and evaluate teachers, works with staff to make curricular recommendations and supports all CTE programming at four middle schools and the high school. She previously worked at the Indian Valley Vocational Center and in DeKalb Community School District 428. Her career began as a counselor and dean in Leland Community Unit School District 1.
Ben Erickson, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’23, was named assistant principal of Tyler Elementary School in DeKalb Community Unit School District 428. Erickson, who had taught fourth-grade at Lincoln Elementary School since 2018, received the Wirtz Award for Excellence in Education in 2021.
Lindsay Ferrari, M.S.Ed. Early Childhood Education, ’05, was named assistant principal of Lincoln Elementary School in Ottawa Elementary District 141. Ferrari’s career includes teaching in preschool and first-grade classrooms as well as with Head Start. She also began the Bright Futures preschool program in Peru, Ill.
Deborah Fuller, M.S.Ed. Special Education, ’88, retired this spring from Woodstock Community Unit School District 200. Fuller, who joined the district in 1990, worked at every elementary school as well as Woodstock High School, Vierda Dierzen Early Learning Center and Clay Academy, her final stop. Among her roles were RTI specialist and reading coach; she also was Woodstock High School’s first female certified athletic trainer, a job she also performed at Palatine High School, where her career began in 1988.
John Gibson, Ed.D. Educational Administration, ’10, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’08, and M.S.Ed. School Business Management, ’98, retired June 30 from Homewood District 153, where he served as the chief school business official. He previously served at New Trier High School, Riverside Brookfield Township High School District 208, Kankakee School District 111 and Matteson School District 162.
Jason Grey, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’14, began work July 1 as superintendent of Riley Community Consolidated School District 18 in Marengo. He previously served as the superintendent of Dakota CUSD 201 and, before that, held several administrative roles in the Rockford Public Schools.
Tim Keeley, M.S.Ed. School Business Management, ’14, was named associate superintendent for Business Services in Township High School District 214. He previously served as assistant superintendent for Business in Addison School District 4, director of Support Services for Indian Prairie School District 204, assistant superintendent for Finance and Operations in Ridgewood Community High School District 234 and director of Purchasing and Transportation for Oak Park-River Forest High School District 200.
Paula Kennedy, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’22, joined West40 Intermediate Service Center Area 1 as program manager of the AWARE Grants and Projects. Kennedy previously was the director of Student Services for the Will County Regional Office of Education.
Charlie Kyle, Ed.D. Educational Administration, ’17, Ed.S Educational Administration, ’04, and M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’01, is the new superintendent of Burr Ridge School District 180. Kyle previously served as assistant superintendent of Administrative Services for Wheaton-based Community Unit School District 200.
Jessica Lombard, M.S.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction, ’94, was named interim superintendent of Huntley School District 158 for the 2023-24 academic year while the school board conducts a national search for a new superintendent. Lombard has served as associate superintendent since 2018. She joined District 158 in 2002 as assistant principal at Leggee Elementary School; since then, other roles included principal of Mackeben Elementary School, director of Curriculum, assistant superintendent of Human Resources and assistant superintendent of Elementary Learning and Special Education.
Ben Meinert, B.S.Ed. Physical Education, ’09, is the new principal of Woodland Elementary School in Joliet Public Schools District 86. Meinert has worked in the district for 12 years, serving for the previous two years as assistant principal of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School.
Jodi Megerle, Ed.D. Educational Administration, ’20, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’15, and M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’02, received a contract extension as superintendent of River Trails Elementary School District 26. The additional year added to her original three-year contract will continue her leadership through the 2025-26 academic year. Megerle joined the district in 2019 as assistant superintendent for Student Services. She previously served in principal and assistant principal roles in Des Plaines, Barrington and Round Lake.
Joseph Schumacher, M.S.Ed. Educational Administration, ’06, was named assistant superintendent of Human Resources in Elmhurst School District 205. Schumacher previously served as assistant superintendent of secondary schools in Algonquin-based Community Unit School District 300, where he also served as executive director of Curriculum and Assessment and as principal and assistant principal of Dundee Middle School.
Jim Varney, M.S.Ed. Early Childhood Education, ’76, was elected to the board of trustees of the Aurora Historical Society. Varney is a retired educator who spent nearly five decades working with students from preschool through master’s degree candidates. He served as principal at several Aurora schools and directed the Partnership School for fourth- and fifth-graders at Aurora University. He also at Aurora University and Waubonsee Community College.
Christopher Waugh, M.S.Ed. Counseling, ’96, was appointed as the first vice president for Student Engagement and dean of students at St. Ambrose University. The new role is designed to support St. Ambrose’s innovative approach to student success that will optimize systems and services within the university to prepare the next generation of learners across their lifespans. Waugh previously served as dean of students and associate vice president for Academic and Student Affairs. Before joining St. Ambrose in 2019, he held several administrative roles at Pomona College and Lake Forest College.
Tiffany Williams, B.S.Ed. Special Education, ’05, was named coordinator of Special Services in Downers Grove Grade School District 58. The newly created position will provide more dedicated availability and support to the district’s students, families and staff within specialized programs and placements as the program continues to expand. Williams previously served as a special education coordinator for East Aurora School District 131.
Tim Wyller, Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’10, is the new principal of Mill Creek Elementary School in Geneva Community Unit School District 304. Wyller previously served as principal of Miller Elementary School in Westmont Community Unit School District 201. Earlier administrative roles took place in Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 and Valley View School District 365U.
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.
