News Release – Round 1 Semi-Finalists

Three semi-finalists selected for District 518 superintendent position

At a special meeting held February 3, 2025 the District 518 School Board selected three semi-finalists to interview for the school district’s superintendent position. The semi-finalists are:

• Joel Heitkamp, Executive Director of Operations, St. Cloud Area School District, MN
• Dr. George Nolan, Elementary Principal, Hopkins Public Schools, MN
• Dr. Douglas Van Zyl, former Superintendent, Lakeville Area Schools, MN

The semi-finalists were selected from a pool of applicants based on criteria established by the school board, as well as survey input provided by the public, staff, and students of District 518.

The school board has scheduled interviews for the semi-finalists beginning at 10:00 am on Friday, February 7, 2025.

All interviews will be held in the District Office conference room and are open to the public. To ensure a level playing field for all candidates the interviews will not be livestreamed.