RED DEER -- A farewell parade for the retiring superintendent of Red Deer Public Schools was held at the central office on Wednesday.
Over 100 vehicles full of friends and colleagues drove by as they waved their signs and honked their horns to say thanks to Stu Henry, the soon-to-be retired superintendent.
“Seeing all the wonderful people I have worked with go by was certainly stirring up a bunch of memories and emotions for me,” said Henry.
“It was a beautiful surprise.”
While the parade was a surprise for Henry, his retirement was not news for his colleagues.
Nicole Buchanan, Board Chair of Red Deer Public Schools, said he announced his retirement to them almost a year ago.
“We were sad, but we knew it was coming,” said Buchanan. “Stu said right from the very beginning that he was only going to do five years and not to expect anymore from him.”
Buchanan said, throughout his career as a superintendent, Henry has been a great leader.
“He has led our district through some difficult situations and is a mentor to a lot of people in our district.”
Henry joined Red Deer Public Schools in 2005 as the principal of Eastview Middle School before he was appointed deputy superintendent in 2010. He served as the superintendent of Red Deer Public Schools for the last five years.
Henry said he has many highlights about his career, but his most memorable ones would be improving the literacy of Red Deer students.
“We’ve had a great bunch of success with our equity agenda as well. We’re a much more inclusive school district than we used to be," said Henry.
Starting August 4, associate superintendent of Student Services, Chad Erickson, will take over the role.
