Kearney Public Schools to rearrange admin positions

KEARNEY, Neb. (Press Release) - Kearney Public Schools is rearranging some administrative positions with the incoming superintendent, Jason Mundorf.

Mundorf’s replacement will be Dr. Chris Loofe, in a combined position as Associate Superintendent and Finance Director. Melissa Herrmann, current Director of 6-12 Education, has been selected as the new Human Resources Director. Clint Edwards, the current Horizon Middle School Principal, will fill her position.

Still to be named, the administration team will include a new Director of Student Services & Safety

“The cornerstone of any successful superintendent’s tenure is a highly functioning and talented administrative team supporting building leaders, teachers, and students,” said Mundorf. “Dr. Loofe, Mrs. Herrmann, and Mr. Edwards are all incredibly talented, hard-working, and loyal leaders who bleed Bearcat blue. They will be excellent in their new roles, and our district will benefit tremendously from their leadership. I am excited to work with them and watch their committed talent propel our district forward in a positive direction.”

Dr. Chris Loofe - Associate Superintendent & Finance Director

Dr. Chris Loofe will take over the duties of the Associate Superintendent and maintain his job as Finance Director. Loofe has been the KPS Finance Director since 2021. Prior to that, Loofe was principal at KHS for three years.

“One of the many things that make Kearney Public Schools and the City of Kearney so special is the people,” said Loofe. “As challenging as the last few years have been for everyone, I am proud of the resiliency this community has shown and am honored to be selected as our Associate Superintendent / Director of Finance. I look forward to serving the Board of Education, Mr. Mundorf, the Leadership Team, as well as our amazing faculty, staff, and students.”

Before coming to Kearney, Loofe served as an assistant principal and athletic director at Millard West High School in the Omaha area. His career includes eight years in the Omaha Public Schools as an assistant principal and athletic director. He also taught special education for six years before becoming an administrator.

Melissa Herrmann - Director of Human Resources

Melissa Herrmann will take over the Director of Human Resources position on July 1, 2022.

Herrmann was named the Director of 6-12 Education in 2019. Prior to this position, Herrmann served as an assistant principal at Kearney High School from 2014-2019 and the KHS Dean of Students from 2011 to 2014.

“I am extremely excited for the opportunity to serve as the Director of Human Resources for Kearney Public Schools,” stated Herrmann. “During my years in KPS, I have been fortunate enough to serve in a variety of roles. Throughout all of these experiences, I have worked alongside amazing people. From our administrators and teachers to our paras and other support staff, our family at KPS is second to none. We continue to fill our schools with dedicated and loyal employees who work tirelessly to support students. In addition, I am excited to be a part of a team that is dedicated to proactively identifying solutions to modern challenges. We have already begun to tackle issues such as classified pay, sub shortages and teacher vacancies, and I look forward to continuing this important work in the HR office. As our district looks to the future, I have the utmost confidence in Mr. Mundorf and our team as we face these challenges head-on.”

Herrmann earned her BA in secondary education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2004, a Masters in educational administration from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2009, an education specialist degree from Doane University in 2020, and is pursuing her doctorate from Doane University.

Prior to coming to KPS, Herrmann taught social studies at Lexington High School and Lincoln North Star High School. She replaces Bob Hastings who departed the district in December 2021.

Clint Edwards - Director of 6-12 Education

Clint Edwards has been tapped to replace Herrmann as the next Director of 6-12 Education. Edwards has been principal at Horizon Middle School since 2019. Prior to Horizon, Edwards worked as assistant principal (2011-2012) and dean of students (2008-2011) at Kearney High School. Before coming to Kearney, he worked as activities director at McCook High School and language arts teacher and coach at Columbus High School.

“I have been blessed to work at Horizon Middle the last ten years,” said Edwards. The staff, students, and parents are the best around. I will miss seeing the students every day in this new role. However, the opportunity to work with this leadership team was impossible to pass up. Mr. Mundorf is the right leader to guide us in the future. I feel fortunate to be selected to work in this position and continue to help move the district forward in the years to come.”

Edwards is a proud Kearney Public Schools graduate. He has an English degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University, a master of arts in educational leadership from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and his educational specialist degree from Doane University.

Director of Student Services & Safety

According to Mundorf, the new Director of Student Services & Safety position is a critically valuable and important leadership role that will provide more direct leadership to many students who need additional support, the staff that work with these students, and our community agencies that support KPS.

“It’s no mystery that many students need a variety of supports to successfully experience a positive K-12 educational experience. That need for support has been growing before the pandemic began and certainly doesn’t seem to be receding. This leader will be an important piece of our district leadership team and I cannot thank the school board members enough for their willingness to support this position and the restructuring of our administrative team,” said Mundorf. “I firmly believe their foresight will benefit our students, families, and the KPS staff for years to come!”