/About Glenwood Elementary School / Administrators
Administrators
Mrs. Tammy Hermes, Principal
Mrs. Tammy Hermes returns to Ball-Chatham with over seven years of experience as a building principal in Waverly. Prior to leaving Ball-Chatham, she served our District from 2001-13 both as a reading interventionist and instructional coach at Glenwood Elementary School.
After graduating from Auburn High School, Tammy received her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Illinois State University in 1999. She furthered her education at Walden University, earning her Master’s degree in Reading and Literacy in 2004. She later earned a second Master’s degree from the American College of Education in Educational Leadership.
About her chosen profession, she says: “As a principal, you are given the gift each day to touch many lives and help motivate, encourage, and inspire those that cross your path to becoming the best version of themselves. This is true for adults and children alike. It is a huge responsibility but one that comes with great rewards!”
Being a school principal is not without its challenges, however. “The world is changing rapidly,” she says. “As educators, we are tasked with preparing our youngest students for a world that truly doesn’t exist at this point in time. However, this provides an amazing opportunity to work to help students grow and develop into responsible individuals who are able to think critically, creatively, and problem-solve in any given situation.”
Tammy is married to Donnie, and together they have two children, Payton and Gavin. On her own time, she enjoys reading, exercising, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.
Mr. Daniel Lund, Assistant Principal
Mr. Daniel Lund has been an educator since 1999. He has worked in the Ball-Chatham School District since 2001 as an elementary teacher and administrator. Mr. Lund has taught third through fifth grade in the District. While teaching in Chatham, Mr. Lund was known for the student engagement in his classroom and the integration of 21st-century technology into the curriculum.
Mr. Lund grew up northwest of Chicago in Palatine, Illinois, surrounded by his three brothers and sister. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Education from Indiana University and his Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from the University of Illinois-Springfield.
Mr. Lund and his wife, Cynthia, live in Chatham with their four children; Addison, Evelyn, Nora, and Bradley. In his free time, Mr. Lund enjoys the outdoors, reading, cooking, and spending time with his family and friends. He is an avid Indiana Hoosier basketball fan and cheers for the Chicago Bears and Cubs.
Mrs. Traci Knisley, Special Education Administrator
The Ball-Chatham Board of Education approved the appointment of Mrs. Traci Knisley as a Special Education Administrator at Glenwood Elementary and Glenwood High Schools at their March 18th meeting. She will begin on July 1, 2020.
Ms. Knisley started teaching and case managing at Glenwood High School in October of 2019. Previous to this, she taught in the Riverton School District in several different positions - both general and special education, and was the assistant high school cheerleading coach. She has also taught in the parochial school system in Springfield.
Traci graduated high school from Ursuline Academy in Springfield in 2003. She then earned an Associate of Arts degree in 2005 from Lincoln Land Community College, where she received the Vice President’s Award. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education in 2007 from Benedictine University, where she also received the Educational Forum Award. In 2013, she earned my LBS-1 from Greenville College, and her Master’s in Educational Leadership through the American College of Education.
About her profession, she says, “The best thing about working in special education is seeing the progress students make academically, emotionally, and socially. Being there to facilitate learning and guide students to set and meet goals is an honor and a privilege.”
The most challenging part of special education are the mountains of paperwork! However, she says she enjoys studying data and looking for trends, so that makes one of the most challenging aspects of this profession enjoyable.
Traci is married to her high school sweetheart, Nathan. They have been together for 19 years and married for 13 years. They have three children, Liam who is turning 11 in November; Joseph who just turned seven; and Clara who just turned four.
On her own time, she enjoys reading, practicing yoga, and spending time with her family.