Five take on new leadership roles in Catholic schools

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

When the doors of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sioux City open for class this year, among those in attendance will be new administrators.

The Catholic Schools Office announced the addition of four new administrators and one administrator with new duties. 

This year Gehlen Catholic School in Le Mars will be led by a new president, Dr. Amanda Anderson. Holy Cross School in Sioux City, which is a part of Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools, has a new principal, Kristi Wilshire. At Storm Lake St. Mary’s Catholic School, the role of Kate Swanson has expanded as she will serve as the PK-12 principal. St. Mary’s also has two new assistant principals, Kate Besch and Amanda Woodall.

Dr. Amanda Anderson is the Gehlen’s first lay president, a role she called humbling and inspiring.

Dr. Anderson

“Being the first lay president is an honor, and I see it as an opportunity to build on the strong foundation laid by those before me while bringing my own skills, experiences and perspective to help lead Gehen Catholic into the future,” she said.

Anderson received her bachelor’s degree in sports science from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City before earning her master’s from Wayne State College in exercise science and doctorate in kinesiology and human-computer interaction from Iowa State University.

“I have spent over a decade in high education as a university professor in kinesiology, teaching and mentoring students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels,” she said. “My work has focused on health, wellness and leadership development.”

Having grown up in Le Mars, the new president said she understands how deeply the school is woven into the community and she is committed to helping it thrive for generations to come.

“Catholic education forms the whole person – mind, body and spirit – Gehlen Catholic isn’t just a place where students gain knowledge; it’s where they learn values, grow in faith and discover the unique gifts God has given them,” said Anderson.

The new president said she is passionate about creating a culture where every student and staff member feels “seen, valued and supported. My leadership is grounded in faith, integrity and collaboration, and I look forward to building strong partnerships with families, alumni and the community to continue Gehlen’s tradition of excellence.”

Kristi Wilshire, the new principal of Holy Cross in Sioux City, earned her bachelor’s degree from Briar Cliff University and her master’s from Wayne State College. 

“Holy Cross is near and dear to my heart,” she said. “I attended Blessed Sacrament from

Wilshire

fourth to eighth grade and graduated from Bishop in in 1995, my children attended Holy Cross and my mom, Terri Kimbell, taught middle school math at Blessed Sacrament for 28 years.” 
The Blessed Sacrament Church campus is one of two sites for the school that also includes the St. Michael Center. 

Wilshire has served in education for 26 years. She taught various grade levels for South Sioux City Community Schools for 13 years before becoming an assistant principal for the middle school for two years and the head principal at Harney Elementary in South Sioux City, Nebraska, for three years. For the last seven years she has been an educational consultant for Northwest Area Education Agency.

The new principal said she is excited to once again join the Bishop Heelan community and looks forward to working with the staff and families at Holy Cross.

“Catholic education is important because it nurtures the whole person by integrating faith with academic excellence,” said Wilshire. “We encourage our students to grow in their faith and treat others with kindness and respect. Our students receive high-quality instruction in a supportive environment that fosters both academic excellence and spiritual growth.”

Kate Swanson, after serving as the PK-5 principal at Storm Lake St. Mary’s since 2020, has been named PK-12 principal.

Swanson

“I am looking forward to the new opportunities in which I can support St. Mary’s School students, families and staff as we continue to grow in areas we have been working on while also restructuring some of our system and operations,” said Swanson. “We have some wonderful new faces joining our educational team at St. Mary’s School this year, and their gifts and talents combined with those of our current staff will undoubtedly reap good benefits for our students.”
She was educated at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Buena Vista University in Storm Lake and earned her master’s at Creighton University.

Swanson pointed out that Storm Lake St. Mary’s has been her first and only school she has worked in. She was hired as the high school social studies teacher in the fall of 2008 and taught in that position until 2020.

“Starting at a young age, I have always felt drawn to teaching in a Catholic school,” she said. “I grew up in a family with a long history of Catholic school experience and an active faith life, which planted seeds that shaped me into the person I am today. I want all of our young people to have the opportunity to grow in their love and understanding of Jesus Christ so that one day they find joy and fulfillment through the vocation they are truly called to, and they hopefully bring others to Christ through the process.”

Swanson said Catholic schools are needed in today’s society now more than ever and she if blessed to work alongside others in this important ministry.

“God is at work and good things are happening here,” she said.

Kate Besch, who attended Buena Vista for her undergrad and Morningside University in Sioux City for graduate studies, will not only serve as one of two assistant principals at Storm Lake St. Mary’s but will also be the dean of students and the director of student services.

She pointed out that she started her career in education as a paraprofessional in elementary,

Besch

middle school and high school settings before becoming a certified teacher, working in special education. Next, she shifted to working as a special education consultant for the Area Education Association as well as being a coordinator for assistive technology and alternate assessments. From there, she transitioned to St. Mary’s as the director of student services.

“St. Mary’s offers a family and friendly learning environment for both students and staff,” said Besch. “I immediately felt this when coming to this school as a special education consultant. The staff and students made me feel at home and were so kind.”

During her time with AEA, she developed a collaborative and trusting relationship with the teachers at St. Mary’s and noted she was “thrilled” when position opened there to help them through the shift to inclusion classrooms.

“I would love to see the continued growth in enrollment in our school because we are able to serve more students with unique needs, who we couldn’t previously serve,” said Besch.

Amanda Woodall will also serve as an assistant principal at Storm Lake St. Mary’s as well as the director of the early childhood and after school program.

Woodall

“I am very excited and feel very blessed to be given the opportunity to return to Catholic schools,” she said. “Throughout my educational career, God has always provided and guided me in my journey. I look forward to fulfilling my vocation at St. Mary’s and seeing what God has planned for me.”

Woodall, who received her bachelor’s at Augustana University in Sioux Falls and master’s at the University of Dayton, worked for nine years as a third grade teacher at Sacred Heart School in Spencer before serving in administration at that school for six years. For the last three years, she has worked as a school improvement facilitator at Prairie Lakes Area Education Association.

“I have always been biased that our Catholic schools were great, being that I was a second generation attending one as a child, but spending three years out of the schools, I truly see how special our Catholic schools are,” she said. “There is just something unique about the relationships and sense of home when in our buildings. Our students are very luck to get to experience that, and I look forward to being a part of that.”

Outside of school, Woodall noted you can find her on the family farm near Sutherland with husband Chris and three boys.