833 hires two replacement administrators

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The School District 833 School Board was introduced to two new administrators at the April 23 meeting.

Dave Bernhardson was hired as assistant superintendent of elementary education to replace Linda Rull, who retires at the end of June and Denise Griffith, who will take over Mark Porter’s job as head of human resources in June when he takes the superintendent’s spot.

Bernhardson, former Woodbury Elementary School principal for seven years, has been on special assignment for the past three years shepherding the process for non-construction related issues including naming East Ridge High School, establishing new attendance boundaries and setting new school start times.

Before coming to the district, he was a principal in Inver Grove Heights and a teacher and administrative intern in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District. He began his teaching career in Watertown, S.D.

Soon-to-be superintendent Mark Porter said Bernhardson had shown “outstanding leadership in the areas assigned to him” through transition projects and as a principal.

With Porter taking the superintendent’s position at the end of June, it created a vacancy in his job as head of human resources.

Porter introduced Griffith, who served in the same position for Northfield schools for the past six years, as his replacement.

Before that, she was manager of programming and information systems with St. Paul Companies and also worked for the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District as coordinator of technology and telecommunications. She also worked as special education supervisor for Minneapolis Public Schools.

“She’s incredibly talented,” Porter said. “We’re thrilled to have her here.”

Tags: school district 833, administrators, rull, porter, griffith, bernhardson