Tieszen brings more than 20 years of combined educational and administrative leadership to LM, including two years in collegiate institutional advancement, six years in school administration and 13 years teaching in public and private high schools. She is currently serving as the vice president of institutional advancement at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas. She previously served as superintendent, principal and board member at Freeman Academy, in Freeman, South Dakota, as well as being a member-at-large for Mennonite Schools Executive Council, culminating with a position as the vice president of the Executive Board of Mennonite Secondary Schools Council.
"Pam has demonstrated a lifelong devotion to educational leadership, particularly Anabaptist Mennonite education," reported Andy Dula, chair of the search committee. Along with her professional involvement in Anabaptist-related organizations, all three of her children have graduated from Mennonite schools and colleges.
"I am passionate about Anabaptist/Mennonite education and how it transforms lives," Tieszen said. "The opportunity to be part of an educational system that integrates Anabaptist values with education and activities is what pulls me back to this level."
As a teacher, Tieszen taught multiple subjects in the classroom, including social studies, science, physical education, computer, Bible, psychology and sociology. She has also managed a dairy farm, trained as an Olympic handball athlete, and worked as a coach, bus driver, bank teller and accountant.
LM's superintendent-elect is in the process of obtaining a Doctor of Education degree from the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis, MN, where her doctoral dissertation is a qualitative study of first women leaders at Mennonite educational (K-12) schools. She previously earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Jamestown College in North Dakota and a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership with a principal certification from the University of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Tieszen said she is excited to build upon the strong foundation laid by Superintendent Thomas. "Richard Thomas built LMS into a thriving school community, and I will continue to build strong support for LMS and state-of-the-art facilities."
Tieszen expects to spend the first several months acclimatizing to the LM community. "My outside perspective might lend itself to good conversations and team building," she noted. "Also, it is a year for an accreditation review, which provides a special opportunity to evaluate the school's strengths, identify goals for improvement and celebrate the success of the school system."
Andrew Dula, chairperson of the superintendent search committee, said, "It was gratifying to hear from so many people who care deeply about the school and to feel a general consensus about the kind of person needed to lead LMS into its preferred future." Now there is a consensus among the search committee and the Board that Pam Tieszen is that person.
