I am learning a lot in these first few days and talking to a lot of people and asking a lot of questions. I’m super anxious just to continue to learn, and my goal is to do whatever I can to support our students and community.”

Dr. Tammy Champa, Hastings School District Superintendent

New Hastings School District Superintendent Dr. Tammy Champa has received a warm welcome from the community in her first days on the job.

Champa took over the school district’s top job July 1, replacing Dr. Bob McDowell who resigned effective June 30 to pursue other interests.

Champa spent 11 years as superintendent of the Pine Island School District. During the interview process with the Hastings School Board, her efforts there were lauded by peers, employees, and the community.

Champa is digging into some big tasks at hand in Hastings, with her first official school board meeting set for July 12, a work session where the main topic of discussion will be the possibility of a levy on the November ballot for technology initiatives, something that a district survey in the spring showed broad support for.

She’s also taking some time to get to know Hastings.

“I would say people have been incredibly welcoming and gracious. It’s just been a really warm welcome. I’m grateful for that,” Champa said. “I visited a coffee shop and what an amazing place that was. I was able to meet a number of people, and some were teachers which was great. I’ve met some business owners, and I’ve been in our various district buildings where I’ve been able to meet more teachers and custodians. I’m just looking to meet everyone I possibly can.

“I am learning a lot in these first few days and talking to a lot of people and asking a lot of questions. I’m super anxious just to continue to learn, and my goal is to do whatever I can to support our students and community.”

She’s eager to dive into the work at hand in Hastings.

“I’ve been asking a lot of questions. There are some themes that are coming together, some priorities. I’m starting to look at my goals and what that looks like. I’m super excited,” she said. “One of the things about me is I’m incredibly competitive, and not so much personally but just for the district that I serve, like how can we work together to make this the best possible place for our students and staff? I’m already asking a lot of those questions and identifying some of the areas that are priorities for us.”

She also has fond memories of her time at Pine Island.

“This has been a really tough decision. What I said in Pine Island, I’m certainly not running from anything. That has just been an incredible community to me. It was a great journey, and now I’m looking forward to really good things here,” said Champa.