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Chisago Lakes found their man.

After a two-month process, the Chisago Lakes School District decided to offer their superintendent job to Dean Jennissen.

Jennissen is currently the high school principal in the Dassel-Cokato school district, a position he’s held for nearly a decade. He’ll be replacing retiring superintendent Joe Thimm.
Jennissen was among three finalists, but his history and vision for the district was enough to win over the school board. Other finalists were Lonnie Seifert, principal at New Prague High School and Andrew Almos, Superintendent at East Central School District.

The hiring won’t become official until the August 10 school board meeting when Jennissen is scheduled to sign the contract and the board is expected to approve terms.

“I was drawn to the District because it is a beautiful area and close enough to the metro where we have family,” Jennissen said after he was offered the position. “Location aside, it is a nice sized district with beautiful, small communities.   My wife and I have been serving in small towns right from the start of our marriage and careers.  Once we dug into the school's website, we could see so many good things happening, it was easy to get excited about the possibility of serving the Chisago Lakes Area schools and communities.”

Jennissen will be wrapping up at Dassel-Cokato for the next two weeks, but he does plan on being at a few select Chisago Lakes events in that time. He’s hoping to be in the area full time the week of August 14, in anticipation of Thimm’s official last day on September 29.

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