The Warren Township High School District 121 Board of Education has unanimously approved Daniel Woestman as its new superintendent, to replace Superintendent John Ahlgrim who plans to retire next year.
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Woestman’s contract was approved Tuesday, and he will assume his new position with the district on July 1. He is the superintendent of Belvidere Community Unit School District 100.
Prior to that, he served as both the director of accountability, then the assistant superintendent for Rockford Public Schools District 205. He was also employed at Hononegah High School in Rockton for five years, where he worked as a teacher, and later an assistant principal. Woestman began his career as a teacher at Springville High School in Utah.
“I’m really grateful to the school board for the opportunity to be here and be part of the team,” Woestman said after the vote to hire him.
The incoming superintendent received a doctorate in educational leadership from Northern Illinois University in 2014, a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Cincinnati and a bachelors in English teaching from Brigham Young University.
“The trust that a community gives to a school district to take care of its children is probably the largest gift that a community can give any organization or group of people,” Woestman said. “High schools are such an important part of our communities, and I am so excited to become a part of the Warren community, and grateful for that.”
Ahlgrim has served as the district’s superintendent since July 2015, and has seen the district through several financially challenging years, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to Warren, Ahlgrim was the superintendent of Zion Elementary School District 6 for seven years, and held a number of positions at Mundelein High School, including as principal/deputy superintendent, assistant principal, dean and math teacher.
The board worked with Patricia Viniard at Illinois Association of School Boards to help in the search for a candidate. Board President Paul Schulz noted the help of the association during the meeting while he was introducing Woestman to the district.
He said they sorted through more than 40 candidates before deciding on Woestman.
“We’re very excited and fortunate to have (Woestman] join us on the Warren Township High School team,” Schulz said. “We’re very confident that your experience and positive energy will be a great addition, not just to our school but to the entire community.”