ANNOUNCEMENT AND PRESS RELEASE
From the office of Vijay Manuel, Head of Schools
On behalf of MEI SCHOOLS Society, I am pleased to announce the hiring
of MARK THIESSEN as the MEI Secondary School Principal effective fall of 2016.
Mark was the unanimous recommendation of the Secondary Principal Search Committee and affirmed, also unanimously, by the MEI Board of Directors.
Mark was the unanimous recommendation of the Secondary Principal Search Committee and affirmed, also unanimously, by the MEI Board of Directors.
Education
Mark
was awarded a Master of Education degree from the University of
British Columbia in 2004 with a focus on Educational Administration and
Leadership. He also holds a Bachelor of Education degree also from UBC,
a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity Western University, and a
diploma in Church Ministries from Columbia Bible
College.
Church Involvement, Ministry, and Family
Mark
has grown up in and currently attends Cariboo Bethel MB Church
in Williams Lake where he has served as a Sunday School Teacher, Soccer
Camp Pastor and Coach, Children's Ministry Leader, and Elder. He and
his wife Tracey have recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary
and together have four children.
Their eldest, Brooklyn, attends Trinity Western University in the
nursing program, and their sons Jonah (Gr. 12), Sam (Gr. 10), and Eli
(Gr. 6) plan to attend MEI in the fall. Mark and his family spent 18
months in Rwanda where he served as Program Director
for the Wellspring Foundation for Education and the Vice Chair of the
Kigali International Community School Board. He presently serves on the
board of the Wellspring Community Foundation for Education.
Current & Past Roles
Mark currently serves as the Superintendent/CEO of School District No.
27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin). In
this role, he leads a team that provides education to approximately
4500 students in 23 schools in a diverse geographical area about the
same size as the Province of New Brunswick. The distance from the most
eastern school to the most western is over 500 km. The district's three
smallest schools have less than 20 students while
the largest has just under 1400 students.
Mark reports directly to the district’s Board of Education and advises the board in all educational and operational matters. He also works with a senior leadership team which consists of the Secretary Treasurer, Assistant Superintendent, and three Directors of Instruction. His direct reports also include a District Principal (Instructional Technology), two helping teachers (Elementary Music and Outdoor Education), and staff from the district's Communities That Care team.
Prior to this, and all in District No. 27, Mark has served as a principal at the district level and a secondary, middle, and elementary principal at the schools level. As a teacher, Mark taught in elementary & middle schools.
Interview Process
Mark
was interviewed by the Secondary Principal Search Committee consisting
of four board members, the Head of Schools and a non-voting staff member
on Thursday, July 28th by Skype and again on Saturday, July 30th in
person. Mark was the unanimous selection to be recommended for the
secondary principal position. He was found to be
an excellent communicator, an outstanding educator with a vast array of
knowledge and experience, a leader with a heart for people, a family man
who is committed to his wife and children, and most importantly a man
of God who is passionate about serving the
Lord through his life. The board met on August 3rd, 2016 to review the
recommended candidate and affirmed the decision by a unanimous vote.
In Mark's Words
I'll conclude with the following excerpt from Mark's application:
"While
I have worked in the public education system for my entire
career, I have extensive leadership experience working and volunteering
for Christian organizations and in my church. I believe that MEI has the
unique opportunity to raise up followers of Christ for a calling that
is higher than just raising up a new generation
of leaders.
'Now
these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles,
the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their
responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the
church, the body of Christ.' (Ephesians 4:11- 12, NLT)
At
this point in my career, I feel strongly that God is calling me
to something different. I am truly excited when I think about the impact
I could have working with a team of Christian leaders to equip students
for Life and Forever."
We are confident that God's hand is in this and are excited about what this hiring will mean for our high school, for the larger MEI Schools organization, and for the Kingdom of God. Please join me in praying for Mark and his family as they transition to a new home, new schools, and Mark's new role.
With excitement and anticipation for the future,
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