ISD 917 Superintendent, Dr. Michael Favor, and the district leadership team, hosted a luncheon for retired ISD 917 Superintendents, Mark Zuzek, Dr. John Christiansen, and Bill Larson on March 21, 2022. They were joined for the celebration by the district leadership team and DCTC President, Dr. Michael Berndt. Chef Patty Labeau, Chef Darla Donnelly, and Fundamental Chef students served the superintendents and guests a delicious three-course meal of vegetable egg rolls, beef stroganoff with noodles and broccoli, and key lime pie. Each retired superintendent was provided with a gift bag that included assorted goodies and a hand-crafted, multi-wood cutting board engraved with the ISD 917 logo, thanks to Construction Trades teacher, Paul Landwehr.
During the luncheon, the superintendents shared stories of their tenure in ISD 917 and during retirement, the growth of ISD 917 over time, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their retirement. Bill Larson shared stories of his time building vocational schools in Saudi Arabia and the world travel he was able to pursue because of it. John Christiansen described how he has remained active in the education community through his involvement on various boards, as well as some of the ways the COVID-19 pandemic changed the nature of some of that work. Mark Zuzek told us about his sustainable crafting endeavors using and reusing recycled and repurposed materials.
Each superintendent demonstrated great interest in hearing about current district initiatives, students, and staff, and they took great joy in seeing students’ smiling faces again. We appreciate their time, and we are thankful for the opportunity to honor those who have given so much to ISD 917.