DOWNERS GROVE - Andrew S. Wise has been chosen as the new superintendent of Center Cass School District 66.

Wise officially begins on July 1 but will be in the district during the school year preparing for his transition, according to District 66 news release.

Wise is currently superintendent of Olympia CUSD 16 in Stanford, Ill., a town of about 600 people located near Bloomington. He is also a professor at Illinois State University. During his 20 years at Olympia, Wise served as principal, business manager and superintendent.

Wise holds a Chief School Business Officials certificate, superintendent certificate and Ph.D. from Illinois State University. In addition, he earned his Certificate of Advanced Leadership from the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA) as well as his National Advanced Leadership certification from the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), where he currently holds a National Governing Board post.

Wise’s passion is developing his employees, ensuring growth of the organization and helping students master the art of learning, the release stated. He enjoys sharing the work of his district with colleagues by presenting at conferences, writing articles in national publications and conducting media interviews with educational leaders.

On a personal level, Wise enjoys music, nature, hiking, sports, attending school events, and spending time with his two college-aged children, according to the release.

Wise credits his success and the success of his district to having a strong board of education, administrative team, hard-working employees and some of the best students in Illinois, he said.

“It is an honor to partner with the Center Cass board, parents, employees and students to ensure all of our children grow into well-rounded people, equipped with the skills necessary to excel in school and in life," Wise said in the release.

“Every member of the Center Cass family has greeted me with a smile, warmth and kindness," he added. "When you couple amazing people with strong leadership, a culture of excellence and a shared vision for student success, the sky is the limit. The people, the potential and the supportive educational environment drew me here. I can’t wait to start working with the greater Center Cass learning community to ensure our students receive the very best education, which results in the highest levels of student preparedness for school and life”.

Wise is a founding member of AASA’s National Redefining Readiness Cohort, appointed to the College Board National Superintendent Advisory, and serves as a College Career Commissioner through the American Association of Community Colleges. In addition, he was recently honored as Illinois State University’s Superintendent of the Year.

Wise will serve in the place of Griff Powell and Ray Lechner, who are serving as our interim superintendents in District 66.