Rod Hetherton meets with people from the community during a meet-and-greet prior to final interviews for the Zeeland Public Schools’ superintendent job on June 19. Hetherton, who has been superintendent of Swartz Creek schools near Flint the last three years, accepted the school board’s offer to become ZPS superintendent and is expected to begin his duties with the district July 7.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
The new superintendent of Zeeland Public Schools will begin his duties with the district after the Independence Day holiday.
Rod Hetherton, who has been superintendent of the Swartz Creek Community Schools in Genesee County for the past three years, was offered the superintendent’s job in a unanimous vote of the district’s Board of Education June 19.
“I accept, absolutely,” Hetherton said over speaker phone in response to the board’s offer to become the 15th superintendent in ZPS history, as those in attendance in the board room erupted in applause. “I am so excited to join you.”
After receiving Hetherton’s acceptance of its offer of employment, the board took a separate vote to approve a three-year contract with the new superintendent. He is scheduled to begin working for ZPS on July 7.
“It is the only superintendent job I have looked at since I’ve been a superintendent the last three years,” Hetherton said in the concluding remarks of his interview. “It’s a place Ashley (his wife) and I have come to visit. We would love to bring our family here. It’s such a family-oriented district.”
In another action, the board voted unanimously to reassign previous Superintendent Dr. Brandi-Lyn Mendham to a position titled “school administrator,” with duties to be determined by Hetherton. Mendham, who had been ZPS superintendent since July 2021 and before that was the district’s director of curriculum for seven years, has been on medical leave since October of last year.
Hetherton was one of two finalists who went through a second round of interviews for the superintendent job, with the other being Hamilton Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Brad Lusk.
“He’s authentic, straightforward, and he will fill our void,” Board Trustee April DeWitt said of Hetherton.
“I surely appreciate (his emphasis on) strong instructional leadership and energy and excitement and child focus for our district,” Board Vice President Betsy Kikstra added.
“As the board president, one of the lenses I look at is who I’m going to want to sit next to every week and who’s going to have the best interest of the district at heart,” Board President Rick Dernberger said.
“I’m not even a teacher, but I want to teach for him.”
As part of their final interviews, the finalists were asked to put together a plan of what they would do in their first 90 days on the job. Hetherton said that in his first 90 days, he would institute “listen and learn” meetings with every building principal, as well as with staff and support workers. He also said he would meet with parents, business and government leaders, representatives of nonprofit organizations and local pastors. He also stressed the importance of being visible in the community.
“You can’t get to know people if you’re not being visible,” Hetherton said. “You’ve got to get out and about. I’ve got to be in the (school) parking lots, in the cafeterias, at the games. You have to model success and wellbeing.”
Hetherton was asked during his interview what ZPS’ mission statement of “safe, valued, loved and learning” meant to him.
“It means we take care of all of our kids, in the most precious way we can,” he said. “Valued means you’re lifting them up, you’re empowering them, you’re giving them opportunities to show how they can shine. Obviously, loved means we’re caring for them. Safe means we’ve done our best – we’ve done the research, we’ve instituted the technology … we talk about safety, we practice it. Learning is the core of why we’re here. We’re in the classroom, we’re digging (into) the content, and we expect all kids can learn.”
Hetherton began his career in education in 1996 at a Catholic elementary school in Flushing, near Flint. He then moved over to an intermediate school in Fenton, where he was a teacher and coach, and later to an assistant principal role at Waverly Schools near Lansing.
In 2004, Hetherton joined Swartz Creek Community Schools as principal of Moorish Elementary School, a position he held for 10 years. He then briefly served as lead assistant principal at Swartz Creek High School before being promoted to deputy/assistant superintendent in 2014.
In July 2022, Hetherton became superintendent of Swartz Creek Community Schools. During his tenure as superintendent, he closed out projects from a 2018 bond issue, campaigned for successful passage of an operating levy in 2023 and promoted a $38 million bond issue that district voters approved last year.
Hetherton holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Michigan-Flint, and an educational specialist degree from Oakland University.
Hetherton will receive a starting annual salary of $215,000, along with an annuity equal to 4 percent of his salary. He also has a merit pay provision in his contract that would pay him an additional 2 percent of his salary based on whether he receives an evaluation of “effective” from the school board on his performance review.
Zeeland Record
The new superintendent of Zeeland Public Schools will begin his duties with the district after the Independence Day holiday.
Rod Hetherton, who has been superintendent of the Swartz Creek Community Schools in Genesee County for the past three years, was offered the superintendent’s job in a unanimous vote of the district’s Board of Education June 19.
“I accept, absolutely,” Hetherton said over speaker phone in response to the board’s offer to become the 15th superintendent in ZPS history, as those in attendance in the board room erupted in applause. “I am so excited to join you.”
After receiving Hetherton’s acceptance of its offer of employment, the board took a separate vote to approve a three-year contract with the new superintendent. He is scheduled to begin working for ZPS on July 7.
“It is the only superintendent job I have looked at since I’ve been a superintendent the last three years,” Hetherton said in the concluding remarks of his interview. “It’s a place Ashley (his wife) and I have come to visit. We would love to bring our family here. It’s such a family-oriented district.”
In another action, the board voted unanimously to reassign previous Superintendent Dr. Brandi-Lyn Mendham to a position titled “school administrator,” with duties to be determined by Hetherton. Mendham, who had been ZPS superintendent since July 2021 and before that was the district’s director of curriculum for seven years, has been on medical leave since October of last year.
Hetherton was one of two finalists who went through a second round of interviews for the superintendent job, with the other being Hamilton Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Brad Lusk.
“He’s authentic, straightforward, and he will fill our void,” Board Trustee April DeWitt said of Hetherton.
“I surely appreciate (his emphasis on) strong instructional leadership and energy and excitement and child focus for our district,” Board Vice President Betsy Kikstra added.
“As the board president, one of the lenses I look at is who I’m going to want to sit next to every week and who’s going to have the best interest of the district at heart,” Board President Rick Dernberger said.
“I’m not even a teacher, but I want to teach for him.”
As part of their final interviews, the finalists were asked to put together a plan of what they would do in their first 90 days on the job. Hetherton said that in his first 90 days, he would institute “listen and learn” meetings with every building principal, as well as with staff and support workers. He also said he would meet with parents, business and government leaders, representatives of nonprofit organizations and local pastors. He also stressed the importance of being visible in the community.
“You can’t get to know people if you’re not being visible,” Hetherton said. “You’ve got to get out and about. I’ve got to be in the (school) parking lots, in the cafeterias, at the games. You have to model success and wellbeing.”
Hetherton was asked during his interview what ZPS’ mission statement of “safe, valued, loved and learning” meant to him.
“It means we take care of all of our kids, in the most precious way we can,” he said. “Valued means you’re lifting them up, you’re empowering them, you’re giving them opportunities to show how they can shine. Obviously, loved means we’re caring for them. Safe means we’ve done our best – we’ve done the research, we’ve instituted the technology … we talk about safety, we practice it. Learning is the core of why we’re here. We’re in the classroom, we’re digging (into) the content, and we expect all kids can learn.”
Hetherton began his career in education in 1996 at a Catholic elementary school in Flushing, near Flint. He then moved over to an intermediate school in Fenton, where he was a teacher and coach, and later to an assistant principal role at Waverly Schools near Lansing.
In 2004, Hetherton joined Swartz Creek Community Schools as principal of Moorish Elementary School, a position he held for 10 years. He then briefly served as lead assistant principal at Swartz Creek High School before being promoted to deputy/assistant superintendent in 2014.
In July 2022, Hetherton became superintendent of Swartz Creek Community Schools. During his tenure as superintendent, he closed out projects from a 2018 bond issue, campaigned for successful passage of an operating levy in 2023 and promoted a $38 million bond issue that district voters approved last year.
Hetherton holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Michigan-Flint, and an educational specialist degree from Oakland University.
Hetherton will receive a starting annual salary of $215,000, along with an annuity equal to 4 percent of his salary. He also has a merit pay provision in his contract that would pay him an additional 2 percent of his salary based on whether he receives an evaluation of “effective” from the school board on his performance review.
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