A fresh face will await students returning to the halls of Dowagiac Middle School this fall.

The Dowagiac Union Schools Board of Education hired Sean Wightman as the new principal of the sixth- through eighth-grade school during its meeting Monday night at Dowagiac City Hall. Wightman will take over the position from Matt Severin, who resigned from the position earlier this year in order to take over as principal of Merritt Elementary School in the Brandywine school district.

Wightman, a native of Richmond, Michigan, comes to the district with more than 20 years of experience in education, most recently with the West Bloomfield School District, where he has taught art and has served as auxiliary principal.

The teacher and administrator was recommended for hire to the board by a hiring committee consisting of Superintendent Paul Hartsig, Deputy Superintendent Dawn Conner, Board of Education Secretary Claudia Zebell, Assistant DMS Principal Nicky Hulett, DMS Secretary Angie Ernzen, several DMS faculty members and Latoi Wilson, the city treasurer and parent of a seventh-grade student at the middle school.

“I’m looking forward to helping the students of this community, building relationships with the people in the community, and developing a shared vision with Superintendent Hartsig, the board and our teachers and staff so that our kids will have a chance to compete in our global society,” Wightman said to the board Monday. “I’m looking forward to it, and I’m excited.”

Wightman hails from a family of educators, with both his parents working in education and his twin brother, Shawn, serving as superintendent of the Marysville public school district.

After he graduated from Richmond High School in 1988, Wightman attended college at Western Michigan University, where — in addition to playing basketball — he received his bachelor’s degree in art education.

The teacher worked for the Bloomingdale and Romeo school districts before transferring to the West Bloomfield School District.

In addition to teaching elementary, middle school, high school and even college students during his career, Wightman has taken several administrative jobs in education, and has taken leadership internships at with Rochester schools and the Oakland ISD, he said.

Wightman said he is excited to take the reins at the middle school, where he wants to help students prepare for the 21st Century workforce by reinforcing their literacy in technology and teaching them how to communicate in today’s increasingly global work force.

“It [middle school] is an important period in a child’s life,” he said. “With this opportunity I can influence the lives of a lot of kids, and prepare them as they move on to high school.”

With the improvements lined up for the other district buildings due to the passage of the $37 million pair of school bonds in 2015, Wightman said he feels he is joining the district at the perfect time.

“The thing that impresses me about Dowagiac is that everyone here has a lot of hard workers who care about their schools and education, and value them,” he said.