2008 Year in Review

Dr. Suellen Girard Hired as New Superintendent

Board Members welcome Dr. Suellen Girard.
L-R Standing: Doug Pannier, Jim Prombo, Jim Ridley, Steve Swanstrom
Seated: Sally Grey, Girard, Ted Tilton. Absent: Kevin Schlueter

“I am excited to be coming to a great community with outstanding schools and a strong focus on family and community involvement. The Morrison school district has excellent initiatives. We need to keep them solid and strong. Morrison had to make some major decisions financially with staff and curriculum cuts. We are going to have to watch the finances closely,” stated Dr. Suellen Girard.

The Morrison School Board voted at their meeting on April 8 to hire Dr. Suellen Girard to succeed resigning Superintendent Dr. Jody Ware. Girard will begin her duties with the District on July 1, 2008.

“The most important job that a school board undertakes is the hiring of a superintendent,” stated Board President Sally Grey. “After Dr. Ware submitted her resignation, Morrison contracted with School Exec Connect to conduct our search.”

Approximately 30 applications were submitted to the search firm. After the initial screening the firm narrowed the number to 17. The next step was conducting phone interviews and background checks. Following this, the firm presented the Morrison School Board with a slate of six candidates. The Board of Education interviewed the six and narrowed them to three. Two committees and the Board interviewed the final three on March 17. The first committee consisted of teachers, administrators and staff. The second included representatives of the community and businesses.

“While we had some outstanding candidates, the Board felt that Dr. Girard brought the knowledge and skills to lead the district into the future. She is a good fit for Morrison, professionally, philosophically and personally,” said Grey.

Dr. Girard has served as Superintendent of Golf School District #67 and Havana School District #126. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services for Jacksonville CUSD #117 and Curriculum Coordinator for the Alton CUSD #11. In addition, she has worked and taught at college, junior high, elementary, and pre-K levels. During her career, Girard has presented numerous workshops and published articles on reading, science, and Early Childhood Education.

She earned a Bachelors of Art (B.A.) in education and art from Principia College, a Master of Science (M.S.) in Early Childhood Education at Florida State University, an Educational Specialist Degree (Ed.S.) in Educational Administration from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, and a Doctorate (Ed. D.) in Educational Leadership from Saint Louis University.

Dr. Gerard and her husband tanner, who is acting Chairman of the Pollution Control Board of Illinois, have two children. Anne, 29, is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan and is an actress and writer in Los Angeles. Son Justin, 27, is studying Mandarin Chinese at the Army Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA.

“I am looking forward to moving to the Morrison community and working to continue the tradition of excellence in Morrison School District #6. I plan to spend time in Morrison this spring to facilitate a smooth transition by working with Dr. Ware and other members of the staff and community,” concluded Girard. “I firmly believe that all children can learn and should be provided with the best education and skill set possible.”

by Dawn Zuidema, theCity1.com
April 10, 2008