Superintendent’s Path to Leading District 99
Looking back on how Dr. Hank Thiele’s past has prepared him to lead
By Marty Blader
Boy and Girl Scouts of America are equipped with the motto “Be Prepared,” which encourages the idea of readiness in both the mind and body. Little did Superintendent Dr. Hank Thiele know, as an Eagle Scout, that this phrase would serve him well in his future as he leads District 99. Thiele’s role as superintendent always brings him back to his love of service and helping the community.
“It’s a fun job to have, and it’s a great community to be in. This community allows us to do amazing things here in this district, and they send us awesome kids looking to be great contributors to society,” Thiele said. “To have the honor and privilege to lead an organization like that is an amazing gift.”
Thiele recalls being a very active leader as an Eagle Scout, leading his peers and being organized. He recalls many people complimenting his leadership skills and asking if he considered being a teacher.
Fast forward a few years when Thiele started his career in education at James B. Conant High School, teaching science and music, coaching badminton, and leading a variety of extracurriculars. After shifting to a Technology Coordinator role at Conant High School, in 2007 Thiele moved to a Director of Technology position in the Maine Township High School District 207.
While many superintendents start out as teachers before moving to an administrative role, Thiele explains that the transition is not a “promotion” but a “career change.”
“You happen to be in the field of education, but it would be like someone who is a plumber becoming an electrician. You’re both building houses, and you both have those experiences, but what you’re doing on a daily basis is very different,” Thiele said.
During his time as Director of Technology, he connected with Google to incorporate Google Suites into his district, becoming the first district in the world to do so. Due to the success of this project, he traveled the world to help other school districts incorporate this system into their learning.
His innovative and visionary mindset, which began with using Google Suites in the education system, has been seen in different areas of District 99. Arwen Lyp, Principal of Downers Grove South High School describes Thiele as a leader.
“He has a really nice balance of being the big-picture visionary leader of our district while also having both boots on the ground at the same time,” Lyp said. “Living and breathing and doing the work right alongside us.”
Over time, his role as director of technology shifted to an assistant superintendent position in the same district. In 2016, Thiele began as superintendent at District 99.
Thiele views his superintendency in District 99 as four “acts.” The first act was the referendum and the building project. Associate Superintendent for Student Learning Gina Ziccardi reflects on Thiele’s determination to get the project started.
“With the Master Facility Plan that was something we had been talking about in District 99 for a long time… but he really brought that to life,” Ziccardi said. “He has a vision, and sometimes a very innovative vision, that I think helps all of us to think about things in a different way.”
From there, he had to navigate the pandemic unexpectedly. As Thiele sees it, we are in the third act of his superintendency, which is the strategic plan, navigating how to best reflect on the work the district is doing and determining how to best prepare students for the future.
“We’ve always had a great reputation, we have great students, and we have a lot of students who come back to this community, but we’ve kind of relied on that legacy to validate what we do in the community. Over the next couple of years, we want to prove it to the community,” Thiele said.
Thiele recently signed a contract that will last until his retirement in five years. That determines his final act to be the transition period of passing the torch to the next superintendent in the final two years of his superintendency. Thiele plans to spend more time with his wife and family in retirement and get back to playing the trombone.
In his time in the District, Thiele reflects on the most rewarding part of his job.
“The best thing is seeing kids do great things and seeing students be successful,” Thiele said. “And just to know that I have some impact on that, whether through making sure that things just run with funding or solving problems or making sure that we have community support for what we do. That whole kind of experience makes the job worth doing.”
Thiele is surrounded by his wife Annel and his children Maria and Henry. Thiele looks forward to spending more time with his family during his retirement.
Thiele received the award for Superintendent of Distinction in 2022 by his colleagues in the DuPage Region of the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA).
Thiele stands in front of Google at his first time presenting in 2008.
Funding District 99 for the FutureThe District 99 Education
Foundation celebrates 30 years of funding innovative programs to help advance the district
By Marty Blader
The District 99 Education Foundation was created 30 years ago as a not-for-profit group in response to a property tax cap. At the time, District 99 was concerned about the amount of money it would be able to collect to support its students and faculty.
Since then, the foundation has directed its funds toward innovative programs and technology that push the district forward. Throughout this time, the foundation has invested more than $950,000 into the D99 schools.
Julia Kennedy Beckman has been the president of the foundation’s board since 2017. Beckman explains why she thinks investing in programs that fall outside of district funding is essential.
“I think our schools are the number one reason people move to the community, and you want to be sure that you are maintaining positive, forward-looking programs,” Beckman said.
Teachers see first-hand what additional programs or equipment could advance their students’ learning. In recent years, the foundation has provided grants for programs ranging from funding the materials for DGN’s yoga club to digital cameras in the DGS Fine Arts Department. They have also provided support for students in the Transition 99 Program, including a straw bale garden, composting systems, and overnight trips.
These programs allow for more in-depth discovery and, often, hands-on learning for all students in the district. Downers Grove South teacher Scott Parker has received several grants from the District to support his teaching in the science department and in extracurriculars such as the robotics club.
“The department funds can only buy so much stuff for us, where the grants help me push the envelope for students,” Parker said. “They can experience things they might be interested in and help prepare them for college.”
In addition to directing the funds toward students’ academic learning, the foundation has recently expanded its mission to financially assist families in the community. The Angel Fund is an optional donation made when people pay their dues at the beginning of the school year. The money goes to students who may need financial assistance to pay for school events, extracurricular activities, and other additional expenses.
“I think that’s their biggest success. The range of projects that they finance and the ongoing effect that supporting those programs or those projects or those innovations and the impact it has on kids,” board member Mike Heinz said.
To learn more about the grants awarded in the past and how to donate to the District 99 Education Foundation, visit their website at d99ef.org.
