PLUM CITY – Plum City School District will have a new district administrator, who will also fill the middle/high school principal role, for the 2021-2022 school year.

The school board announced Brian Nadeau’s hire at the June 21 regular board meeting.

Nadeau, a Baldwin native, has dedicated his two-plus decades career to education. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and secondary education from UW-River Falls. In 2005, he completed his master’s in educational leadership and administration at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. In 2008, he achieved his administrative licensure in K-12 education in Wisconsin and Minnesota at Hamline University.

He has taught at New Richmond and Baldwin-Woodville (Viking) middle schools, as well as coached multiple sports including football, baseball, softball and basketball. He served as an assistant middle school principal in Tomah, Wis., for one year before heading to Hudson, where he was the Hudson Middle School dean of students for three years. In July 2019, he accepted the role of PK-12 principal in Clayton, Wis.

Nadeau, in an email to The Journal, said he’s excited to join Plum City School District as he enters his 23rd year in education. His said his teaching and coaching experiences have shaped him tremendously.

“These experiences have shaped my core beliefs around teaching and learning,” Nadeau said. “Students need committed, caring adults who are willing to push them to achieve and accomplish more than they believe they are capable of.”

He added that his family is a big part of his “why.”

“My wife Amy is our rock and the foundation of our family,” Nadeau said. “She has served as a special education paraprofessional for many years and shares her love for children in all corners of her life.”

They share children Maya (27), Brenan (25), Evan (23) and Arianna (10), and grandson Myles.

Nadeau said he maintains balance in his life by tending to many hobbies, such as reading, cheering for the Packers, Badgers, Brewers and Bucks; hunting, fishing, spending time with their dogs and cat, and staying active.

Staff restructure

Current Middle/High School Principal, School Counselor and Homeless Liaison Jeremy Kerg submitted his resignation at the April 19 school board meeting. Kerg, who joined Plum City schools in June 2019, will be joining Heartfelt Therapy in Baldwin as a therapist. According to Heartfelt Therapy’s social media announcement, Kerg’s areas of focus will be adolescents, teens, adults and families; family changes, career and academic challenges and support, and sports psychology.

At the board meeting, Kerg said he will still be around to cheer on the football team and stop into Molly’s on Main for the shrimp alfredo.

“I am happy for Brian and for Kevin,” Kerg said. “Though it is a bit odd to be in this position.”

He said he’s especially happy for the district, as the restructure of staffing will be an improvement. He referenced moving from a dictatorship to a democracy.

According to past school board minutes, the Plum City School Board has conducted multiple closed session meetings concerning staff restructuring, administration structure and salaries since January 2021.

School Board President Erin Clare said the superintendent role had been combined with the special education director, and the middle/high school principal with the middle/high school counselor, previously.

“We decided this spring to examine what roles we could rearrange to better fit the needs of the Plum City School District, and we felt that combining the district administrator/principal position would be best,” Clare said.

Clare said when Kerg submitted his resignation, it was because of a career move to the private counseling sector.

As for the district administrator/principal position, the district received more than 20 applicants.

“Mr. Nadeau was our top pick for his experience, communication skills, leadership ability and integrity,” Clare said. “He excels in all those areas. We are very excited to have him as a member of our leadership team.”

Current Superintendent, Special Education Director, and Curriculum Coordinator Amy Vesperman’s last day is June 30.

In a letter to the community in April, the school board said they wish her well in her future endeavors.

Brian Nadeau