JENISON, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – The process to fill a vacancy among school leaders in Ottawa County continues today Monday, April 12, 2021.
The Jenison Board of Education holds the first of two interview sessions to seek a replacement for Tom TenBrink, who announced his retirement in January, effective at the end of the Academic Year. Each session will have two interviews, one at 6:30 p.m. and the other at 8 p.m.
This evening, Fowlerville Superintendent Wayne Roedel and Dr. Brandon Graham, Principal of Jenison High will take questions from the panel. On Wednesday night, West Ottawa Assistant Superintendent Todd Tulgestke and Al Cummings, Superintendent of Tri-County Area Schools, based in Sand Lake, are scheduled to appear.
In a statement released by the district last month announcing the interviews, Jenison Board President Amanda Peterson said, “We were pleased with theat quality of applicants who demonstrated interest in Jenison Public Schools, especially with the number of openings across the state. We look forward to finding out more about each candidate’s leadership abilities and what each has to offer our community. It is our hope to have a person in place by July 1.”
The interviews will be conducted at the Jenison Center for the Arts Building on the Jenison High campus off of 20th Avenue and Bauer Road, with a link to the live stream available before the first session today through the district’s website.
TenBrink is stepping down after 18 years at the helm and 34 years in education. He is the fourth area school superintendent to have retired or announced plans for retirement since August, when Tom Martin declared his plans to retire at West Ottawa. Timothy Bearden has already been named as his replacement.
The search process continues for a new school chief at Holland and Zeeland, where Dr. Brian Davis and Cal DeKuiper, respectively, announced their retirements earlier in 2021.
