What is Rotary to me?
I first started working in the Mequon-Thiensville School District in the fall of 1999 when I was hired as an elementary teacher at Wilson Elementary School. In 2004, I was selected to serve as one of the two assistant principals at Homestead High School and it was at the annual National Honors Society Recognition Dinner that I made my first connection with the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club. Donned in gold aprons with blue trim, I remember being introduced to the likes of Greg Huffman, Stan Smith, and Sandy Custer along with many other members that were volunteering to serve food to the students and families at the event. That year, I was also impressed to learn about the monthly recognition that the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club provided in partnership with the school district for high school students that included an opportunity to be honored at the end of the school year with a scholarship. When I was named the superintendent of schools in MTSD in 2017, I learned and found it quite impressive that the school board expected me to be a member of one of the local Rotary clubs. With the opportunity to select a club to join, I did not hesitate to reach out to Dr. Karl Hertz and requested consideration for the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club. I know how influential Dr. Hertz has been in his work with Rotary and in that he is a mentor, a guide, and a friend, there was no other Rotary Club to consider.
In the Mequon-Thiensville School District, our mission is: Together, we ignite each student’s passion for learning, preparing for a life of infinite possibilities. Rotary clubs are a fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders that work together to promote lasting and positive change. Our school community includes all those who contribute in some way to the ecosystem of our children’s educational journey, and the TM Rotary Club is a valuable friend in that work. Rotary Clubs, including ours, support education for all children and that means the world to me. I am forever grateful to call myself a member of this club and for the opportunity to serve our community alongside my fellow Rotarians.