Medinah Dist. 11 names two new principals

New principals week named this week in Medinah Elementary District 11.

Lake County administrator Andrew Grimm was appointed principal of Medinah Middle School, and Oak Forest administrator Chad Prosen will serve as principal of Medinah Intermediate School for the 2010-11 school year.

They will fill posts that Principal Kara Egger has been holding at both schools simultaneously. Egger will retire at the end of this academic year.

District officials said Grimm and Prosen triumphed in a rigorous process to become the new principals. More than 80 candidates applied and 18 received initial interviews with the district's administration. They then narrowed the pool to 10 candidates, who were interviewed by a committee of parents, teachers and students.

Five finalists were then evaluated by the superintendent, who completed site visits and final reference checks on three finalists.

Grimm currently serves as associate principal of Beach Park Middle School in Beach Park, a northern suburb near Gurnee. Grimm has served in Beach Park for three years and previously taught social science and at-risk students in high school settings.

He is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Prosen is currently principal of St. Damian's School in Oak Forest. He has served in this position for three years and previously spent time as both a teacher and administrator.

He is a graduate of Baylor University, Waco, Tex., and is currently completing an advanced degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.