 Bemidji School Superintendent Dr. Jim Hess is getting ready for retirement. A celebration party was held yesterday in his honor. Dr. Hess has been with the Bemidji School District for 14 years. Over that time he's received several awards and started numerous projects and programs to help the district. Some of the personal highlights including help students transition into life, into the workforce. I'm certainly proud of the things that we've done in Bemidji working on the students first program where we pair a student with a community success coach and the work that we're currently doing in our Bemidji Career Academies Program where we're aligning students and the courses that they take in high school with post secondary courses and a business or industry partner. Hess says all of his best memories revolve around the students and helping them reach their potential. When asked what he hopes for the future of the district, he says he wants Bemidji Area Schools to keep preparing students for the future and look at each student individually. All of my memories revolve around students and the great things that they've been able to do over the years working in Bemidji Area Schools and the other school districts prior to this time. It's been a great opportunity for me to reach out and touch the future. Hess says he is looking forward to retirement although he will miss working with the kids and his staff the most. His last day will be June 30th. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.