A new superintendent will take the reins in Yorkville Community School District 115 this summer.

The district has announced that Matthew Zediker, currently chief human resources officer for Rockford School District 205, will start as superintendent on July 1.

He will replace two interim superintendents who have been leading the district since the departure of former Superintendent Tim Shimp, who retired last spring.

Prior to starting this summer, Zediker will be spending time in the district to assist in his transition by visiting buildings, attending events and meeting with students, staff and families, district officials said.

According to a press release from the district, Zediker’s hiring is the result of an extensive search conducted by the search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates.

Zediker has served as chief human resources officer with Rockford School District 205 for the past seven years, overseeing hiring, labor management, benefits, the equity design team, compliance and staff allocations, talent development and the districtwide accountability system, according to the release.

He started at the Rockford district in 2005 and has served as an elementary school teacher, middle school teacher, athletic coach, assistant principal, principal and executive director of elementary education before taking over as chief human resources officer.

Before starting in Rockford, he taught for five years at the elementary and middle school levels in Iowa
City, Iowa, and Freeport, Illinois.

“We are extremely confident that Mr. Zediker is the right leader to guide our district into the future,” said Darren Crawford, president of the District 115 Board of Education, in the release. “His years of experience and vast knowledge with each level of education align perfectly with our vision for providing a high-quality education to every student. We believe that his commitment to our community will enhance the overall educational experience for our students.”

Zediker, 46, of Caledonia, spoke from his Rockford office Wednesday and said he is looking forward to being superintendent in District 115, saying “Yorkville was the only place I applied for.”

“Yorkville aligned with some of the things I was looking to do,” he said.

He said he is “pretty flexible with being able to relate with different types of people, whether that is rural, urban, suburban,” he said. “My background has enabled me to communicate with a variety of people.”

Zediker said he has “a coaching and motivational background” which he hopes will enable him to motivate others to get things done.

He said he is willing “to admit I’m not the smartest person in the room. I love to use other people’s expertise when we are tackling problems and making decisions. That’s not hard for me to do. It’s not hard to say your idea is better than mine and we’ll use that.”

His goals for the new job include dealing with Yorkville’s growing population and “examining the footprint of the district – in terms of facilities – is going to be something we’re going to have to focus on early.”

“At the same time we need to take a look at our education from a teaching and learning plan that is in conjunction with that facility plan and make sure that what we’re thinking about in terms of space also includes teaching and learning,” he said.

Another goal involves “communication channels that need to be reestablished both in and outside the district.”

“With a new board and a new superintendent – the opportunity to make sure we are building trust with people inside and outside the district is going to be really important with the work we’re doing the next several years,” Zediker said.

He said that every school district is going to have its challenges.

“Navigating those within your community which is done through listening, conversation and communication is key,” he said.

“That goes along with balancing the community’s thoughts and ideas with ensuring you are building structures and a district organization that students feel like they connect to and belong to,” he said. “If we can get students to feel like they belong within Yorkville, I’ll tell you, we’re really going to do some good work. The challenges come when people don’t feel a part of something.”

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.