The Oconomowoc Area School District (OASD) Board of Education has selected Dr. Michael Sereno to become the next Superintendent of the Oconomowoc Area School District. The School Board will formally approve his contract at their regular board meeting on Wednesday, February 16, and Dr. Sereno will officially begin his new role on July 1, 2022.
Sereno is currently serving the School District of Elmbrook as the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning and has served Elmbrook Schools for the past 19 years. Prior to joining Elmbrook Schools, Dr. Sereno served as an educator in both the Kettle Moraine and Waukesha school districts. He earned his doctorate in educational leadership from Edgewood College, Madison. He also holds a master's degree in educational administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
OASD School Board President, James Wood, welcomed Dr. Sereno by saying, "Because of our committed efforts as a community, I believe we have selected an excellent district administrator, Dr. Michael Sereno, who we all believe has the skill set to lead us forward to UNRIVALED. Welcome to the Oconomowoc school community, Mike!"
Wood also thanked the many people who participated in the Superintendent hiring process by saying, "I would like to extend my gratitude to all of the people who made our superintendent selection process smooth and successful. Thank you to all of the 29 candidates who took the time to apply and participate in our process; thank you to Brian and Vance from McPherson & Jacobson for all of your efforts in vetting and presenting the candidates; thank you, Dr. Taylor and Meghan Goldner, for all your logistical coordination; and thank you to former board member Scott Roehl who helped keep the board focused on attracting a high-quality superintendent."
Wood went on to say, "Thank you to all of the staff and community members who participated in the stakeholder's forums and building tours, with a special shout out to Jim O'Leary for his driving services; and thank you to my fellow trustee board members who developed and executed a transparent and engaged process to select our new superintendent."
"It is truly an honor to be selected as the next Superintendent of the Oconomowoc Area School District," said Dr. Sereno. "I am grateful to the school district for creating a selection process that allowed me to meet and interact with a broad range of stakeholders from our schools and community. I look forward to collaborating with the Board of Education, staff, and community members to build upon Oconomowoc's rich tradition of excellence as we become an unrivaled school district," he added.
The search for a permanent superintendent began in October 2021 when the OASD School Board selected McPherson & Jacobson Executive Recruitment and Development to assist with the search process. During the search process, McPherson & Jacobson hosted stakeholder meetings with staff members, students, district families, and community members to seek input on the desired characteristics of our new Superintendent. Those stakeholder meetings were followed by an additional online survey opportunity, and McPherson & Jacobson compiled the information into a report that the School Board used to inform the search, interview, and selection process. Six candidates were invited to interview with the School Board the week of January 31, and three of those candidates were invited to return for additional interviews and school visits last week.
The selection of Dr. Sereno concludes a collaborative and successful search process and positions the Oconomowoc Area School District for continued success.
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