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This summer, a new superintendent will take over for Yorkville Community School District 115.
Matthew Zediker, currently chief human resources officer for Rockford School District 205, will serve as superintendent starting July 1, the district announced.
He will replace two interim superintendents who have led the district since the departure of former Superintendent Tim Shimp, who retired last spring.
District officials said Zedik will spend time in the district before the start of this summer to assist with his transition by touring buildings, attending events and meeting with students, staff and families.
Zediker’s hiring was the result of an extensive search conducted by executive search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, according to a news release from the district.
Zediker has served as chief human resources officer for Rockford School District 205 for the past seven years, overseeing recruiting, workforce management, benefits, equity design teams, compliance and staff assignments, talent development and district-wide accountability systems, according to the release .
He began working for the Rockford School District in 2005 and served as an elementary teacher, middle school teacher, athletic coach, assistant principal, principal and executive director of elementary education before serving as chief human resources officer.
He taught elementary and middle school for five years in Iowa before starting in Rockford
Iowa City and Freeport, IL.
“We are extremely confident that Mr. Zediker is the right leader to lead our district into the future,” District 115 Board of Education President Darren Crawford said in a news release. “His years of experience and deep knowledge at all levels of education align perfectly with our vision of providing a high-quality education to every student. We believe his commitment to our community will enhance the overall educational experience for our students.”
Zedik, 46, of Caledonia, said Wednesday at his office in Rockford that he is looking forward to becoming District 115 chief, saying “Yorkville is the only place I’ve applied.”
“Yorkville fits some of the things I want to do,” he said.
He said he was “very flexible and able to deal with different types of people, whether they were rural, urban or suburban,” he said. “My background allows me to communicate with a variety of people.”
Zedik said he has a “coaching and motivational background” that he hopes will allow him to inspire others to get work done.
He said he’s willing to “admit that I’m not the smartest person in the room. I like to draw on other people’s expertise when we’re solving problems and making decisions. It’s not hard for me to do that. It’s not hard to say your idea is better than My good, we’ll use it.”
Goals for his new job include addressing Yorkville’s growing population and “examining the footprint of the area — the facilities side of things — is going to be something we have to focus on early on.”
“At the same time, we need to look at our education in terms of instructional plans that are integrated with facilities plans and make sure that our considerations in terms of space include instruction,” he said.
Another goal relates to “the need to rebuild communication channels within and outside the district.”
“With a new board and a new superintendent, ensuring that we have opportunities to build trust with people inside and outside the district will be important to our work in the coming years,” Zediker said.
Every school district faces challenges, he said.
“Guiding people in the community through listening, dialogue and communication is key,” he said.
“It’s about balancing the thoughts and ideas of the community and making sure you’re building a structure and a regional organization where students feel connected and belong,” he said. “If we can make students feel like they belong in Yorkville, I’ll tell you, we There’s really going to be some good work being done. The challenge comes when people don’t feel like they’re a part of something.”
David Sharos is a freelance writer for The Beacon News.
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