The Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A Board of Education has named a new Assistant Superintendent. Mrs. Daniela Fountain, current Director of Curriculum and Assessment in Troy School District 30C, will assume the Assistant Superintendent position starting July 1, 2017, following the retirement of current Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Mary Gricus.
Fountain holds a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an English as a Second Language endorsement from National Louis University as well as a Certificate of Advanced Study in Administration and Supervision from National Louis University. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree at Illinois State University. Fountain was the recipient of DuPage County’s Annie Ryan Mentor of the Year and has presented locally, state-wide and nationally.
Looking forward to joining the District 113A learning community, Fountain shared her enthusiasm about working with the district. “I look forward to supporting and collaborating with all district stakeholders to provide District 113A students high quality and relevant learning experiences. I am humbled to serve the district and excited to work with the community to make a positive difference in the lives of District 113A students.”
The Board of Education approved the appointment of Fountain on October 19th. The appointment follows a rigorous and extensive search process including a candidate pool of over 70 applicants and multiple rounds of interviews with district administrators, staff members, the Board of Education, and parent and community leaders. The interview process also included a performance assessment related to data analysis and communicating progress and goals to the Board and community.
During the interview process, staff described Fountain as “knowledgeable, experienced, genuine, reflective, and insightful” as well as “someone who has an emphasis on what is best for students.” Parents and community members also commented that she is “an excellent candidate, and a good communicator with an exceptional depth of knowledge” and one who is “compassionate, articulate, personable” and “would connect well with the community.”
"I believe Mrs. Fountain will be a great addition to our District 113A family," noted District 113A Superintendent Dr. Courtney Orzel. "She embodies all of the attributes that we were seeking in an Assistant Superintendent and has the qualities that we would expect of all of our school leaders. She is extremely knowledgeable about curriculum, instruction and assessment and understands the systems and frameworks needed to move a district forward. She has excellent leadership qualities that will benefit our district now and in the years to come.”
To ensure a smooth transition, Fountain will begin working with the district's administrators prior to her official July 1, 2017 start date. The district will publish dates and times for staff, parents and community members to meet the new Assistant Superintendent.