Alton School Board Names Three New Administrators

ALTON – During a special board meeting on Thursday morning, the Alton School District Board of Education named three new administrators to posts for the 2024-2025 school year. Dr. Wendy Adams, current Director of Human Resources, was promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. Dr. Tron Young was appointed as the new Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services. Hilary Himmelberg was appointed as a new Alton Middle School Assistant Principal. All three administrators will begin their new positions on July 1.

Dr. Wendy Adams has served as the Director of Human Resources since 2018. A veteran educator and administrator with over 24 years of experience, Adams has been a teacher and administrator in both the Alton and Edwardsville School Districts. She has a great depth of experience in human resources and talent acquisition. Adams also gained collective bargaining and negotiating experience through her affiliations with the Edwardsville Education Association and the Illinois Education Association. As the Alton School District’s Director of Human Resources, Adams has increased hiring, developed professional development programming for new teachers and staff and coordinated Teacher Residency Programs aimed at “growing” local paraprofessionals and degree-holding individuals interested in obtaining their Professional Educator License.

Adams said she is looking forward to her expanded responsibilities and opportunities in her new role as assistant superintendent. “I am really excited about our team next year and the opportunity to serve our student and staff at an even higher level.” She added, “Alton is both a community and school district that I love and so I am thrilled to continue my career here.”

Dr. Tron Young has nearly two decades of combined experience as a middle school teacher, elementary principal and middle school principal. He is currently the principal at Joseph Arthur Middle School in the Central 104 School District in O’Fallon, IL. He is the 2020 Illinois Middle School Principal of the Year and Illinois NASSP National Distinguished Principal of the Year. He has also been awarded the Pacesetter Award through Kaskaskia College, the Illinois Education Association Bob Haisman “Teacher of the Year,” 100 Black Men United Educator of the Year and Regional Middle School “Principal of the Year” Award. Recently, he was a finalist for the 2023 Golden Apple Excellence in Leadership Award.

Young, who replaces Elaine Kane after she was announced as the District’s new superintendent earlier this year, said he was attracted to the assistant superintendent position in Alton after his experience working with district administrators and staff as a professional development provider. “I was drawn to Alton because of my positive experience working alongside the administration during a professional development training and some regional student recognition events. I have personally witnessed their dedication to professional growth and development and their commitment to ensuring the best for students and their families in Alton,” he said. Young also noted that he is “looking forward to collaborating with passionate educators and leaders in a student-centered learning environment.”

Hilary Himmelberg will join Alton Middle School as an assistant principal. She is currently a teacher at Dorris Intermediate School in the Collinsville School District. She has eight years of teaching experience and serves on multiple leadership teams including PBIS, curriculum council, school improvement planning and others. Himmelberg holds expertise in building student relationships, promoting equity and in using data to drive continuous improvement.

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