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DOWAGIAC — A successor to a longtime administrator has been found. 

At a special session of the Dowagiac Union School Board on Wednesday, former Buchanan elementary principal Michael Dunn was announced as the new DUS assistant superintendent. Dunn will be replacing Dawn Conner, who served the district in many roles for 37 years.

“It’s a great community,” said Dunn, of Dowagiac. “They’re looking to do some great things, and they have a great hole to fill [with Conner].

Dunn, who earned his master’s in secondary education from Indiana University Northwest, has extensive education experience. He has worked as an English teacher, curriculum director, adjunct professor and elementary principal. He also has his educational doctorate in leadership and a specialist degree in superintendency and educational system administration. 

“I come from a servant leadership background,” Dunn said. “The idea is we’re here to serve our kids, our parents and our teachers. It’s a serving world, so we work together for them, with them, to do what’s right for our kids.”

Superintendent Jonathan Whan expressed his excitement during the board meeting. 

“I am very pleased he is willing to come and join us,” Whan said. “I feel like we have a really good hire, and a good fit, and we’re looking forward to him being on board full time.”

In other business, the board:

• Accepted the resignation of Dowagiac Middle School science teacher Bailey Green
• Recommended the hire of Elizabeth Barraclough for music teacher at Sister Lakes Elementary and Kincheloe Elementary