Steve is a lifelong educator, leadership coach, and former superintendent with more than 30 years of experience serving and supporting PK–12 public education systems across the country. He led three metropolitan school districts as Superintendent of Schools—Green Bay (WI), Iowa City (IA), and Wausau (WI)—each comprising urban, suburban, and rural communities, and each committed to advancing equity, access, and academic excellence for increasingly diverse student populations. Over the course of his superintendency, Steve guided communities through large-scale strategic initiatives including comprehensive facilities master plans, successful bond referenda totaling over $400 million, innovative STEM partnerships with higher education, 1:1 digital learning rollouts, and the expansion of multilingual, special education, and alternative learning environments. In Green Bay, he led the district through the COVID-19 pandemic, including a full remote launch, a return to in-person learning, and the development of a fully online elementary school. In higher education, Steve served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership Studies at the University of Iowa, where he led principal and superintendent preparation programs, supervised clinical fieldwork, and taught across the M.A., Ed.S., and Ed.D. levels. He currently holds the title of Adjunct Lecturer (Emeritus) and continues to teach courses focused on educational politics. Since 2001, he has also taught at the University of Wisconsin–Superior, the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, and Marian University. Today, Steve serves as Managing Partner of sfm consulting group, where he works with school districts and education organizations nationwide. His consulting and coaching portfolio includes leadership development, organizational coaching, resilience-based systems design, strategic planning, and executive search. He serves as a Managing Partner for Cognia’s Leadership Circle, Master Coach and Facilitator for PeopleBench, Strategic Planning Consultant for InnovateK12 and Meteor Education, Strategic Engagement Partner with Hanover Research, TalkPath+Live, and Wayfinder, and Search Consultant for McPherson & Jacobson. Through AASA and MASA, he facilitates national superintendent development programs and provides executive coaching to early- and mid-career leaders. A frequent advisor and board member, Steve contributes to organizations including the Education Research and Development Institute, EdWeb, New Era Superintendents, Rocket PD, and SAM Labs. He holds multiple professional certifications, including ICF Associate Certified Coach, TCI Certified Team Performance Coach, and credentials in DISC, Driving Forces, Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Acumen Capacity Index (ACI), DNA, Levels 1 of AQai, and Resilience at Work (R@W). His academic background includes degrees from the University of Michigan (B.A.), University of Wisconsin–Madison (M.S. and Ed.S.), and doctoral coursework in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. Steve is based in Iowa City and is married to Darci. Together, they have three adult children. When not working with educational leaders, Steve can often be found off the grid, hiking with a map in hand and a goal in mind.