D228 Names Dr. Brad Sikora Superintendent

Midlothian, IL —Dr. Brad Sikora was appointed as the new superintendent of Bremen High School District 228 at the school board's meeting Tuesday night. Sikora has spent the last decade as the principal of Oak Forest High School, and he has experience at the district's other three high schools, Bremen, Tinley Park and Hillcrest, during his 22-year career.

"Although I wasn’t a student at the district, I feel like I am a product of the district," Sikora said in a statement. "It’s exciting to be able to utilize the relationships and skills I have built over the years to continue serving the students, staff, and communities of District 228."

Sikora replaces Dr. Bill Kendall, who announced his retirement this past October after 14 years on the job.

While in charge at Oak Forest, Sikora was recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education with a Those Who Excel award. He also helped the school land on the U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools in the Nation list for the first time.

Sikora began his career as a social studies teacher, working at Crete-Monee and Lincoln-Way Central and Hillcrest, the latter school he joined in 2005. Sikora also served as the wrestling coach at Hillcrest.

From 2007-08, Sikora worked as the D228 World Languages Supervisor, and he became the assistant principal of teaching and learning at Bremen in 2008.

A graduate of Crete-Monee, Sikora earned his Bachelors degree from University of Illinois, majoring in social studies education and minoring Spanish. He also has earned a Masters of Educational Administration from Governors State, a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia and a Doctorate of Education in Ethical Leadership from Olivet Nazarene. In 2017, Sikora earned his Superintendent Endorsement from Loyola.

"I had a high school teacher and wrestling coach, Mr. Rod Wartman, who positively impacted and inspired my career path," Sikora said. "Ever since then, I knew I wanted to work in education and do the same thing for others. With each new role, I realized that I could help more and more people on a larger scale, which encouraged me to pursue the position of superintendent."

Sikora takes over for Kendall, whose many accomplishments were listed on a district release. They include: creating additional post-secondary opportunities for students with advanced placement courses, college and career centers and industry certification courses, developing freshman and sophomore learning centers, moving the district from deficit spending to balanced budgets and improving athletic facilities at all four high schools.

Sikora spoke fondly of his predecessor.

"I hope our communities will see me as a visible leader who wants to continue adding value to our schools and maximizing resources and opportunities for our students as Dr. Kendall has," Sikora said. "There have been many positive mentors and role models in my life, and it’s an honor to be able to carry on their legacy and the impact they have made on me by providing that same experience to others."