D-427 celebrates Superintendent Riesen’s career

SYCAMORE – As students prepare for summer break, Wayne Riesen is realizing his break will not come to an end this time.

Riesen, superintendent for Sycamore School District 427 for the past seven years, will end his 26-year career as a school administrator at the end of June, but he is making sure to enjoy every last moment.

"This is all I've known for the last quarter-century,"
Riesen said. "My seven years in Sycamore have been wonderful ... I'm making it a point to enjoy the last 1½ months."

Friends and colleagues of Riesen gathered Friday at the Sycamore High School Fieldhouse to congratulate the retiring superintendent and celebrate his accomplishments in the seven years he led the district.

Kathy Sloniker, Riesen’s secretary and a 22-year employee of District 427 who has served three superintendents, said Riesen brought joy and energy every single day to work, which is a rare quality.

“He’s an awesome guy,” Sloniker said. “It was amazing to see and it was fun coming to work every day.”

During Riesen’s tenure, which started in 2005, the district saw growth and renovations of its facilities. Southeast, West, South Prairie and North elementary schools all had renovations and additions, and North Grove Elementary opened in August 2009.

The final renovation under Riesen’s watch was in August 2011 at Sycamore Middle School.

Steve Nelson, a member of the D-427 board, said Riesen’s leadership made all of the growth in the district possible both from a facility perspective and in strengthening relationships with city organizations.

“He is a great communicator and built a lot of bridges with the city and organizations,” Nelson said. “He was very proactive and not reactive.”

Riesen’s success was no surprise to his son Dave, who teaches in the Chicago area. Dave Riesen said it was his father who inspired him to pursue a career in education, and after getting an inside glimpse of how hard it can be to run a school district, he has even more respect for his father’s accomplishments.

“It’s amazing to see,” Dave Riesen said. “He set a great example for me his entire life with the way he works.”

With Wayne Riesen’s departure, Assistant Superintendent Kathy Countryman will take over July 1.

Katrina Mathey, who came to the district with Wayne
Riesen in 2005 and works in the business office, said she would miss her former boss and how personable and approachable he was, but she also is excited for the change.

“She’ll be wonderful ... it’s great to see a woman superintendent,” Mathey said.

While Wayne Riesen retired from the district, he already has found a part-time job at Northern Illinois University, where he will teach a class on educational administration. He said he was excited to pass on the skills he has learned the past 26 years.