Schools
Hinsdale Central Has a New Principal
The hiring of Mark Kolkman was approved by the District 86 board Monday night.
District 86 has its new Hinsdale Central principal picked.
The school board voted unanimously Monday night to approve the appointment of Mark Kolkman to the position effective July 1, 2014. Kolkman, who has been an assistant principal at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville since 2008, will replace interim principals Tom Paulsen and Frank Kesman.
Paulsen and Kesman were hired for this year after former principal Mike McGrory left for a new job in Iowa last summer.
Find out what's happening in Burr Ridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Kolkman's hiring happened on the same night that Hinsdale South principal Brian Waterman was hired to become Lyons Township's new principal.
Find out what's happening in Burr Ridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Before working at Neuqua Valley, Kolkman was an assistant principal for one year at Glenbard East after four years as the school's athletic director. He's also been a teacher, coach and assistant athletic director at Naperville Central, and a teacher at at Herscher High School in Herscher, IL.
"This has been an intense process with a number of highly-qualified candidates," District 86 superintendent Dr. Bruce Law said. "Ultimately, the feedback I received from district stakeholders as well as the results of the board’s and my own candidate interviews concluded that Dr. Kolkman was the right person at the right time for this position. Although I am extremely appreciative of the hard work of our two incredible interim principals Tom Paulsen and Frank Kesman, I am eager to provide Hinsdale Central with a permanent educational leader. I am confident that Dr. Kolkman will do great things for our staff and students and be a wonderful overall addition to our District 86 family."
"In the coming months I look forward to spending a great deal of time with the Hinsdale Central family. My goal is to first introduce myself as a person before introducing myself as the principal,” Kolkman said in a written statement. "In my previous experience as a classroom teacher, coach and school administrator, establishing positive connections with students, faculty and the community has been the foundation of my work. Each and every example of my administrative leadership is rooted in building relationships with others and engaging in collaborative decision-making with stakeholders while working toward a shared vision of excellence.
"I am especially excited to join the rich tradition of a talented and proud student body, a highly skilled and dedicated staff and an engaged and supportive community, which is the cornerstone of Hinsdale Central High School."
Kolkman holds a Superintendents Endorsement as well as a Type 75-General Administrative Certification and a Type 9-Teaching Certificate. He earned his doctorate in education from Aurora University, his master’s degree in educational leadership from North Central College, and his bachelor’s degree from Olivet Nazarene University.
A public reception to welcome Dr. Kolkman to District 86 has been planned for 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19, in the Hinsdale Central Community Room.
There are plenty of ways to keep up on Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills news:
Have an opinion on this or any District 86 news item? Publish your thoughts on our District 86: News and Views blog!
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
