The Northwest R-1 School District has hired a new superintendent – Jennifer Hecktor, currently the assistant superintendent of human resources for the Wentzville School District.
Hecktor of O’Fallon will start her new job July 1, 2022, replacing Superintendent Desi Kirchhofer, 51, of Byrnes Mill, who is retiring at the end of this school year.
Board of Education president Retta “Susan” Tuggle said the board voted unanimously Dec. 8 to hire Hecktor.
“She wants to bring our school district further and keep it going in the right direction,” Tuggle said. “I think all of those are qualities we were looking for, and the fact that I think she's going to be very personable.”
Hecktor said the Northwest school board hired her under a three-year contract, and she will earn a $180,000 annual salary.
She said she makes $162,369 in her current position at Wentzville.
Kirchhofer, who has been the Northwest superintendent since July 1, 2017, is being paid $187,170.80 this school year, said Lisa Barnhart, administrative assistant to the superintendent.
Hecktor said she was not looking for a new job, but once she heard Kirchhofer was retiring, she decided to apply.
“I had done a great deal of research on the district, of course, before applying and interviewing, and my time with (the board) just confirmed everything I believed about the district, that it is a district filled with spirit and is very tight-knit, family focused, and that is the type of district I'm interested in joining and being a part of for the remainder of my career.”
Hecktor has a bachelor's degree in special education and English education from Lindenwood University, a master's degree in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Missouri in Columbia, and education specialist in superintendency degree from Missouri Baptist University, and a doctorate in teaching and learning from Maryville University.
Hecktor started her career in education as a paraprofessional in the Francis Howell, Pattonville and Fort Zumwalt school districts. Then, while living for several years in Texas and Florida, she worked in special education. After moving back to Missouri, she worked as an administrative intern at Westhoff Elementary and as a principal at Fort Zumwalt West Middle School. She also was an assistant superintendent of the Wright City R-2 School District.
Tuggle said she was impressed by Hecktor.
“What she doesn't know she'll figure out,” Tuggle said. “I think she's very ambitious, and I think she's very intelligent.”
Hecktor said she plans to attend board meetings and work with Kirchhofer before her start date. “She's going to be able to hit the ground running and we'll have a seamless transition,” Kirchhofer said.
Tuggle said the board tried to hire Kirchhofer’s replacement quickly to give the new superintendent as much transition time as possible.
“We also wanted to start the process early so we would have kind of the pick of the litter,” she said.
Tuggle said about 14 or 15 people applied for the position, but only six people were interviewed.
“We only interviewed the ones that we thought had potential for what we were looking for,” she said.
Kirchhofer said he believes the board made a wise choice by hiring Hecktor
“With her reputation and her quality and body of work, she is an excellent educator, kid focused, and I think she'll do a wonderful job,” he said. “I'm looking forward to working with her during the second semester to transition and set her up for success.”
Hecktor, who grew up in St. Charles and graduated from the Francis Howell High School District, said she and her husband, Matthew Hecktor, have been married for 23 years. They have three children – a 21-year-old daughter, a son who is a junior in high school and a daughter in fourth grade.