Jeff Dicks, Newell-Fonda superintendent, will take same position in Washington

By XIOMARA LEVSEN

Golden Triangle News Service

WASHINGTON ? Jeff Dicks was announced as the new superintendent of the Washington Community School District. He will begin July 1.

Washington superintendent Dr. Mike Jorgensen announced Thursday afternoon Dicks was selected from a group of three finalists. He is in his eighth year as superintendent of the Newell-Fonda Community School District and superintendent of the Albert City-Truesdale Community School District.

He said it will be hard to leave the Newell-Fonda Community School District after 17 years there, but is excited for the future.

?My first reaction was excitement and confirmation that I applied for a job that has outstanding potential for growth and also professional growth for myself,? Dicks said. ?When my wife and I left Washington after an entire day of interviews we knew our answer was a resounding ?yes? if indeed we were offered the job. While never easy to leave a district you have 17 plus years as a teacher, principal and superintendent ? a district like Washington makes that much easier.?

When Dicks applied for the job he did so because there were many characteristics the school district possessed that he considers important.

?Some of those characteristics include [a] strong community commitment to education, proactive approach to facility improvement, strong financial condition, positive culture for employees and students, and a very engaged board of education,? Dicks said.

Dicks said he doesn?t have any specific goals for the district but wants to continue working on the momentum it has going right now.

?While I have many ideas about education improvement in general I have no specific area that I will look to implement,? he said. ?Throughout the interview process I tried to resonate my belief that Washington CSD is [in] a position to become an even bigger influence of becoming an education hub for the surrounding region. I will be committed to growth and improvement and model that love of learning to our staff and students.?

Washington school board president Eric Turner said during the interviewing process a couple of things Dicks has accomplished stood out to him.

?He has a lot of really good experience in his school district in terms of improving technology,? Turner said. ?His school district has a similar diversity to Washington, and he was able to get a bond issue passed.?

Dicks also has experience in concurrent courses, which was another thing that the board liked, he said.

?Of the three finalists he has the least experience as a superintendent, but his accomplishments as superintendent were impressive,? Turner said. ?We had a lot of positive feedback for all three finalists, but he was the best fit.?

When Dicks becomes superintendent on July 1, Turner said it will be interesting to see how he builds a relationship with administrators, staff, community and business members. It will also be interesting to see what kind of footprint he puts on things.

Washington superintendent Dr. Mike Jorgensen said he is confident Dicks will be a good leader for the district.

?I had concerns over retiring and not being able to turn the leadership over to someone that would continue the momentum of the district,? Jorgensen said. ?It is a concern no longer. Jeff brings instant credibility to the district and will assist in taking the district from good to great.?

Jorgensen has known Dicks for 10 years. He was Dicks? mentor when Dicks first became a superintendent.

?In my initial meetings with Jeff it became apparent that he was a quality individual with a lot of great ideas,? Jorgensen said. ?His philosophies on education, concurrent credit, how to treat employees and family values were very consistent with mine and we became both peers and friends. Over the years not only has Jeff contacted me as one of his resources ? I have also contacted him. Even though I was his mentor, he has quickly surpassed me in many ways and is considered one of the best and most accomplished superintendents in the state of Iowa.?