On behalf of MEI SCHOOLS Society, I am pleased to announce the hiring of MARK THIESSEN as the MEI Secondary School Principal effective fall of 2016. Mark was the unanimous recommendation of the Secondary Principal Search Committee and affirmed, also unanimously, by the MEI Board of Directors.
Education
Mark was awarded a Master of Education degree from the University of British Columbia in 2004 with a focus on Educational Administration and Leadership. He also holds a Bachelor of Education degree also from UBC, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity Western University, and a diploma in Church Ministries from Columbia Bible College.
Church Involvement, Ministry, and Family
Mark has grown up in and currently attends Cariboo Bethel MB Church in Williams Lake where he has served as a Sunday School Teacher, Soccer Camp Pastor and Coach, Children’s Ministry Leader, and Elder. He and his wife Tracey have recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary and together have four children (pictured below). Their eldest, Brooklyn, attends Trinity Western University in the nursing program, and their sons Jonah (Gr. 12), Sam (Gr. 10), and Eli (Gr. 6) plan to attend MEI in the fall. Mark and his family spent 18 months in Rwanda where he served as Program Director for the Wellspring Foundation for Education and the Vice Chair of the Kigali International Community School Board. He presently serves on the board of the Wellspring Community Foundation for Education.
School District 27 Supt. Mark Thiessen (second from right) and his wife Tracey (third from from) along and their children Sam, 15, (from left), Brooklyn, 20, Eli, 10 and Jonah, 17, are moving to Abbotsford where Mark has accepted a position as a principal for the Mennonite Educational Institute’s high school.
Current & Past Roles
Mark currently serves as the Superintendent/CEO of School District No. 27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin).
In this role, he leads a team that provides education to approximately 4500 students in 23 schools in a diverse geographical area about the same size as the Province of New Brunswick. The distance from the most eastern school to the most western is over 500 km. The district’s three smallest schools have less than 20 students while the largest has just under 1400 students.
Mark reports directly to the district’s Board of Education and advises the board in all educational and operational matters. He also works with a senior leadership team which consists of the Secretary Treasurer, Assistant Superintendent, and three Directors of Instruction. His direct reports also include a District Principal (Instructional Technology), two helping teachers (Elementary Music and Outdoor Education), and staff from the district’s Communities That Care team.
Prior to this, and all in District No. 27, Mark has served as a principal at the district level and a secondary, middle, and elementary principal at the schools level. As a teacher, Mark taught in elementary & middle schools.
Interview Process
Mark was interviewed by the Secondary Principal Search Committee consisting of four board members, the Head of Schools and a non-voting staff member on Thursday, July 28th by Skype and again on Saturday, July 30th in person. Mark was the unanimous selection to be recommended for the secondary principal position. He was found to be an excellent communicator, an outstanding educator with a vast array of knowledge and experience, a leader with a heart for people, a family man who is committed to his wife and children, and most importantly a man of God who is passionate about serving the Lord through his life. The board met on August 3rd, 2016 to review the recommended candidate and affirmed the decision by a unanimous vote.
In Mark’s Words
I’ll conclude with the following excerpt from Mark’s application:
“While I have worked in the public education system for my entire career, I have extensive leadership experience working and volunteering for Christian organizations and in my church. I believe that MEI has the unique opportunity to raise up followers of Christ for a calling that is higher than just raising up a new generation of leaders.
‘Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.’ (Ephesians 4:11- 12, NLT)
At this point in my career, I feel strongly that God is calling me to something different. I am truly excited when I think about the impact I could have working with a team of Christian leaders to equip students for Life and Forever.”
We are confident that God’s hand is in this and are excited about what this hiring will mean for our high school, for the larger MEI Schools organization, and for the Kingdom of God. Please join me in praying for Mark and his family as they transition to a new home, new schools, and Mark’s new role.
With excitement and anticipation for the future,
Vijay Manuel
