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John Glenewinkel and Ben Small each understand the importance of a good education.
Beginning July 1, both will begin the task of leading local school districts as new superintendents – Glenewinkel in the East Valley School District and Small in Central Valley.
Last week, CVSD and EVSD boards brought a close to an application process that began over a month ago. Both Glenewinkel and Small went through a series of extensive board interviews and met with district staff and community members through each stage of the hiring process.
“You can tell that there are some solid people on the school board and in the community,” said Small, who has served as superintendent of the Columbia School District in Burbank, Wash. since 2003. “They are definitely dedicated to doing the right thing.”
Glenewinkel and Small will both begin work on July 1. Glenewinkel, current superintendent of the Ellensburg School District, takes over for EV interim superintendent Debra Howard. Small will replace retiring CV Superintendent Mike Pearson.
Glenewinkel, 46, grew up in Texas and Arizona, graduating from high school in Seguin, Texas, about 35 miles outside San Antonio. He received a bachelor of science degree from Southwest Texas State and later earned a master’s degree from the same school in applied geography.
“I understand how education provides you with opportunity in life,” Glenewinkel said.
After teaching several years in Seguin, Glenewinkel and his wife moved to Franklin, Wash. in 1990 where he worked as a teacher and administrator for the Franklin Pierce School District in the Tacoma area. After that, Glenewinkel served as the principal of an alternative high school in Shelton, Wash., a city of about 8,000 in the Puget Sound area.
Prior to Ellensburg, Glenewinkel spent seven years as superintendent of the Republic School District in northeast Washington, a district with an enrollment of around 500 students.
Glenewinkel said his background as an administrator in Republic helped him learn the many aspects of an efficient school district, from budget matters to vocational programs. He said he has been encouraged by the progress East Valley has made on a budget that only had $200,000 in reserves at the beginning of the 2006-07 school year. It now has over $1.2 million.
“There’s a good financial outlook there,” Glenewinkel said. “I’ve looked at what they’ve been able to accomplish and I’ve been impressed.”
The CVSD board of directors announced Small as the new superintendent last Friday, subject to a final background check and contract negotiations. A final decision is on the board agenda for April 28.
Small was raised in Oroville, Wash., a small town in Okanogan County. After graduating from Oroville High School in 1982, he enrolled at Spokane Falls Community College. Small worked for a time as the manager of a fast food restaurant during that time, earning money for school. He eventually earned his Associates in Arts degree from SFCC and went on to study at Eastern Washington University, receiving a bachelor’s degree in social science in 1990. He went back to Eastern to earn his master’s in school administration in 1996.
Small worked as a teacher for the Walla Walla Public School District for six years before serving as principal of Columbia Middle School in the Columbia School District, located about 10 miles east of Pasco, from 1996 to 2003. He has served as Columbia’s superintendent since 2003.
Small is married with four children.
Like Glenewinkel, Small said he is looking forward to the challenge of leading a new school district.
“If it was about sheer management, then it would be daunting,” Small said. “But it’s about leadership.”
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By
Craig Howard
