The Hanover School Division (HSD) trustee board went public on April 9 with their latest staff appointment. Effective August 1, Joe Thiessen will fill the position of Superintendent-CEO, replacing Shelley Amos.
“As a board, we are very pleased that Joe has accepted this new challenge,” writes board chair Brad Unger in a press release. “He has a lot of administrative and teaching experience within the division and his deep commitment to community engagement made him an excellent candidate for this position.”
Thiessen has been working within HSD in a number of roles for the past 28 years.
His classroom educator experience began in 1995 and continued for eight years at the Woodlawn and Blumenort schools, as well as Niverville Collegiate. His teaching experience crosses all levels, including early, middle, and senior years.
During this time, he also served as a faculty advisor for the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba.
By 2005, he’d completed his master’s degree in educational administration and a post-baccalaureate diploma in education at the University of Manitoba.
In 2004, Thiessen accepted the position of principal of the Mitchell Elementary School and has been actively enjoying that role ever since.
Over the years, Thiessen also served as president of the Hanover Council of School Leaders and chair of the Professional Development Committee for the Hanover Teachers Association.
“Joe has a deep love for education and seeing students thrive,” Unger says. “He works really well with staff in all capacities, encouraging growth and leading from the front as a servant leader. He is a man of solid character, and we are excited about his deep desire to lead the Hanover School Division.”
Amos, too, spent much of her educational career in HSD, accumulating 22 years of division service before accepting the position of Superintendent of Education/CEO at Pembina Trails School Division in Winnipeg this year.
In 2018, she assumed the role of Assistant Superintendent in HSD and transitioned into the Superintendent-CEO role in 2020.
The HSD represents 19 schools in southeastern Manitoba, approximately 8,600 students, and 1,100 employees.
