Assistant Superintendent Leaving D181 For New Job in Lemont

Mary Ticknor will be leaving her position as the associate superintendent for Community Consolidated School District 181 this summer. She has accepted a position as the new superintendent for .

The District 210 Board of Education voted unanimously Monday night to approve a three-year contract with Ticknor, who will assume her post July 1 at an annual salary of $185,000.

Ticknor has served since 2004, when she took over as principal for .

In 2007, Ticknor became District 181’s assistant superintendent for human resources. She has served as an associate superintendent since 2008—first as associate superintendent/chief of operations (2008-2010) and currently as associate superintendent for human resources.

"The eight years I spent as an administrator in District 181 have prepared me for becoming a superintendant," Ticknor said. "I’m thankful for the leadership opportunities that I've had here in the district and I’m ready for that next step in my career." 

In 2010, Ticknor received an award of excellence in the school administrator category from the Illinois State Board of Education.

"We are proud of our 2010-11 honorees and grateful for their many contributions to our district. To be recognized for excellence by the Illinois State Board of Education is a positive reflection on the staff, students and our many volunteers,” Superintendent Dr. Renée Schuster said in a public statement when the awards were announced in October of 2010.

Over the past four years, Ticknor has been charged with oversight and management of District 181, which comprises seven elementary schools and two middle schools. The district serves 4,000 students across Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Oak Brook and Willowbrook. Ticknor's responsibilities have included curriculum and technology, human resources, finance, pupil personnel services, buildings and grounds, and accountability and communications.

Prior to her time in District 181, Ticknor worked in education for 20 years in South Dakota. She served in both public and private school settings, and within elementary, secondary and post-secondary education.

Ticknor will replace outgoing Lemont Superintendent Sandra Doebert, June 30, 2012, after leading District 210 for the past decade. The school board Dec. 26, ending a five-month search for Doebert’s successor.

"I’m ready to be a superintendant and this is a wonderful opportunity," Ticknor said.

The approval of Ticknor's contract was met with a loud round of applause from Lemont school board members and district administrators at their regular meeting Monday night. Board President Beverly Marzec welcomed her to Lemont, and said the board "did a great job" selecting her as the next superintendent.

"Mary's experiences in education made her a strong candidate for the position, but after getting to know her through the interview process, it became quite evident to the Board that she would be the right person to lead our district," Marzec said in a press release last month.

Ticknor is one of two District 181 administrators leaving on July 1. Assistant superintendant for pupil services Pam Kazee for the same position at Maine Township High School District 207.