www.aea11.k12.ia.us

NEWS RELEASE

11/28/05

Contacts:
Earl Bridgewater, Heartland AEA Board of Directors, (515) 285-5258 or (515) 224-4811
Steve Jones, Heartland AEA Communications, (515) 270-9030, sjones@aea11.k12.ia.us

FINALISTS NAMED FOR HEARTLAND AEA CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR POSITION

JOHNSTON, Iowa - Five finalists have been named for the chief administrator's position at Heartland Area Education Agency.

"This is a very strong pool of candidates," said Earl Bridgewater, president of the Heartland AEA Board of Directors. "Each candidate brings special strengths and abilities to the position."

The Heartland Board of Directors will begin interviewing the finalists Nov. 29. The new chief administrator will be named in December, Bridgewater said.

The finalists come from Iowa and three other states:

-- Timothy A. Dose has been superintendent of the North Scott Community School District, Eldridge, Iowa, since 2001. Dose previously had been superintendent of the Monticello and Eddyville school districts in Iowa, and he was the shared superintendent of the Eddyville and Fremont districts. Dose has an Ed.D. degree from Drake University and an M.A. and B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa. He will be interviewed at Heartland AEA Nov. 30.

-- Thomas J. Downs has been superintendent of the Southeast Polk Community School District, Runnells, Iowa, since 2003. Downs also has been superintendent of the La Crosse, Wis., Community School District and was associate superintendent of the West Des Moines Community School District. He holds an Ed.S. degree from Drake University, an M.A. from Western Illinois University and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Downs is working toward a Ph.D. at Iowa State University. He will be interviewed at Heartland AEA Nov. 29.

-- Sarah Jerome has been superintendent of the School District of Kettle Moraine, Wales, Wis., since 1991. Jerome previously was an assistant superintendent of the Rockford, Ill., School District. She has Ed.D. and M.A.T. (Master in Art of Teaching) degrees from Duke University, Durham, N.C., and a B.A. from Greensboro College, Greensboro, N.C. She will be interviewed at Heartland AEA Dec. 2.

-- Maxine Kilcrease has been the assistant superintendent of the Portland, Ore., Public School District since 2003. Prior to that position, Kilcrease was the director of Special Education, Grant-in-Aid Programs, and Talented and Gifted for the Portland school district. She holds a Ph.D. degree from the University of Oregon, an M.S. from Western Oregon State College and a B.A. from Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. She will be interviewed at Heartland AEA Dec. 1.

-- Larry G. Rowedder has been superintendent in residence of the Stupski Foundation, San Francisco, since 2003. Previously Rowedder was president and CEO of the Educators' Learning Network, Orlando, Fla., president of the Mayerson Academy of Cincinnati, and was superintendent of four school districts, most recently the Cumberland County Schools, Fayetteville, N.C. He holds a Ph.D. degree from Iowa State University and an M.A. and B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa. He will be interviewed at Heartland AEA Dec. 7.

Heartland's next chief administrator will succeed Wayne Rand, who is retiring effective July 1, 2006 after 16 years as the agency's top official.

Heartland AEA, with its main office in Johnston, is the largest of Iowa's 12 area education agencies. Heartland provides educational services and programs for preschool children, students, educators and families in 11 central Iowa counties. The agency serves 126,000 students and 12,000 educators in 54 public school districts and 32 state-accredited nonpublic schools.

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