By Eric Christiansen
echristiansen@nmpaper.com
WABASH COUNTY, Ind. – In a quick, 5-minute meeting Tuesday morning, May 28, the Manchester Community School Board of Trustees announced the names of the new school superintendent, Dr. Teresa L. Gremaux, and the new member of the board, Craig Haecker.
Gremaux comes to MCS from North White School Corporation where she has been superintendent the past four years.
“I really wanted a quality corporation, and Manchester seemed to fit that bill,” she said. “Also, I have seven grandchildren born in the last four years. I’ve been at North White, and they are all in the Fort Wayne area, so I wanted to get closer to family. It was a good win-win on both parts.”
Gremaux started her career in education as an elementary teacher at Southwick Elementary School in Fort Wayne and was elevated to principal there. After five years in that position, she was asked to move across the street to Harding Junior High.
“I did that for three years while I was getting my doctorate and my Ph.D.,” Gremaux said. “I was really encouraged to be a superintendent, so that’s when I started looking and ended up at North White.”
She and her husband, Tom, have been married for nearly 35 years. The couple has four children, three in the Fort Wayne area, one in Chicago, and eight grandchildren.
Gremaux joked that the position at Manchester was meant to be.
“I grew up Teresa Squires … that’s my maiden name,” she said. “I have always been a Squire.”
MCS board president Ruth Ayres said Gremaux will be a good fit for Manchester.
“She was extremely impressive to the board, and when she was here visiting the school, we heard only good things about here,” Ayres said. “We’re excited to have somebody in leadership.
MCS board member Brice Bedke agreed with Ayres.
“In the whole process, she did phenomenally well .. very professional, giving ‘thank you’ notes, and just the interaction with us and the staff,” he said. “She did a great job, and we’re very excited to have her.”
Haecker was appointed as the new MCS board member by a 4-1 vote with Bedke, Ayres, Rick Espeset and Steve Flack voting in favor, while Dave Terflinger voted for Raju Shah, and Mike Hensley abstained.
Michael Dixon and Richard West also applied and interviewed for the vacant seat left open by Nate Vanderpool who was forced to leave the board after being named Wabash Superior Court judge.
Haecker said he was surprised to get the vote, but is glad and ready to get started.
“It’s something I thought about doing last fall during the election,” he said. “I had a couple of people approach me about it, but the timing wasn’t right then. I guess it feels right now.”