Linn-Mar appoints new administrators

MARION - When Quintin Shepherd and Shannon Bisgard take over as Linn-Mar's top two administrators July 1, they won't be the only leaders new to their jobs.

Four others will be joining the administrative team.

Shepherd was announced as Linn-Mar's next superintendent in December, and Bisgard was named associate superintendent in April.

Since Shepherd and Bisgard were hired, the Linn-Mar school board has approved four appointments to key administrative positions:

' Leisa Breitfelder, a former Grant Wood AEA special education consultant most recently serving as director of student services

for the Clear Creek Amana School District, will succeed Julie Jensen as Linn-Mar's director of student services. Jensen has

accepted a position with the Iowa Department of Education.

' Kelly Kretschmar, who taught second and fourth grade at Indian Creek Elementary School before becoming an instructional

strategist at Westfield Elementary School, will take over as Linn-Mar's director of elementary teaching and learning. She succeeds

Amy Kortemeyer.

' Chad Buchholz, associate principal and athletic director at Excelsior Middle School for the past eight years, will become

principal at Linn Grove. He will succeed Chad Schumacher, who has been named project manager for Linn-Mar High School's $30

million renovation.

' Pamela Schultz, who served Wilkins Elementary School for four years as a school administrative manager before becoming an

associate principal at Excelsior, will succeed John Zimmerman as principal at Wilkins. Zimmerman is moving to the Grant Wood AEA. Shepherd worked his way up from music teacher to superintendent while serving three school districts in Illinois.

Bisgard served Linn-Mar as a principal at Bowman Woods and Linn Grove elementary schools before becoming an administrator for the Grant Wood Area Education Agency in 2013.