Dist. 15 names 4 new school administrators

Community Consolidated School District 15 announced four administrative appointments for the 2011-12 school year on Wednesday.

Christie Samojedny, Lincoln School's principal for the past four years, will serve as principal at Stuart R. Paddock School next year. Her position at Lincoln will be filled next year by Mary Beth Knoeppel, the school's assistant principal for the past five years.

Also, Tracey Wrobel, the District's special education coordinator, will serve as principal at Kimball Hill School next year. Ms. Wrobel served as Kimball Hill's assistant principal for two years before accepting her current position last spring.

Finally, Erika Johansen, a sixth-grade teacher at Gray M. Sanborn, will serve as the assistant principal at Central Road School next year.

All appointments are effective July 1, 2011.

CHRISTIE SAMOJEDNY

Mrs. Samojedny joined the District in August 1999, and served as a third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade teacher at Virginia Lake School for eight years before becoming Lincoln School's principal in July 2007.

Prior to joining the District, Mrs. Samojedny served as a fourth-grade teacher at J. Milton Lewis Elementary School in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Mrs. Samojedny holds a bachelor's degree in education from Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia, and a master's degree in educational administration, leadership, psychology, and foundations from Northern Illinois University.

MARY BETH KNOEPPEL

Mrs. Knoeppel joined the District in August 1984, and served at Marion Jordan School as a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher and building assistant for nine years before leaving the District in 1993 to raise her family.

In 2004, she returned to the District to serve as a building assistant at Hunting Ridge School. Then, in 2005, she was named the assistant principal for both Hunting Ridge and Lincoln. She started serving as Lincoln's assistant principal on a full-time basis in 2006.

Mrs. Knoeppel holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a master's degree in educational administration from Northern Illinois University.

TRACEY WROBEL

Ms. Wrobel served as Kimball Hill's assistant principal for two years before accepting her current position as District 15's special education coordinator last spring. She joined the District in August 1995, and served as a special education teacher at John G. Conyers Learning Academy for 13 years before becoming Kimball Hill's assistant principal in July 2008.

Prior to joining the District, Ms. Wrobel served as a special education teacher for five years — two years at Giles Elementary School in Norridge, and three years at Grand Ridge Grade School in Grand Ridge.

Ms. Wrobel holds a bachelor's degree in special education from Eastern Illinois University, and two master's degrees—one in elementary reading and literacy from Walden University in Minnesota, and one in educational administration and supervision from National Louis University.

ERIKA JOHANSEN

Mrs. Johansen joined the District in 1999, and has served as a third-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade teacher at Sanborn over the course of her 12 years in the district.

She holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Augustana College, and two master's degrees-one in teacher leadership from Roosevelt University, and one in education administration from Northern Illinois University.

-- Story submitted by Community Consolidated School District 15