Mark Hamstra
New SCCS Superintendent
The Association Board of Southwest Chicago Christian School and Chicago Christian High School is excited to announce the appointment of Mr. Mark A. Hamstra as Superintendent beginning with the 2023-24 school year.
Mr. Hamstra has gained extensive experience in education during his twelve-year career with Noble Charter Schools and Chicago Bulls College Prep High School. The Noble Charter School system educates over 12,000 students across the city of Chicago. Mr. Hamstra served as the Director of Student Culture & Support for this school system and also held multiple roles at Bulls Prep, including serving as Principal, Dean, Teacher and Head Football Coach. Mr. Hamstra also served in the US Army and Illinois Army National Guard, honing his leadership and strategic thinking skills during his tenure, serving locally, nationally, and abroad, including a deployment to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Mr. Hamstra earned several awards while leading units in multiple capacities across his decorated military career.
Mark grew up in South Holland and later moved to Palos Heights where he graduated from Chicago Christian High School in 2001. He obtained his B.A. from Wheaton College and a M.A. in Leadership Studies from the University of Texas at El Paso. Mark resides in Chicago with his wife, Sandy (Dryfhout) Hamstra, CCHS class of 2002. They have four children, ranging in age from five to thirteen. Mark will work with our current Superintendent, Mr. Henry Doorn, Jr., to transition into the position. Mark recently shared, “I am excited about this opportunity, especially due to the foundational experience I had at CCHS and the vision I have to lead the community forward.”
The Association Board is thankful for the work accomplished by the Superintendent Search Committee. Committee members worked cohesively and strategically to find the next superintendent. The committee unanimously recommended Mr. Hamstra to the Association Board for the superintendent position. They cited his “leadership traits, experience, drive for the future health of the school, and his strong, personal, reformed Christian life walk” as the defining characteristics that led to their decision. The Association Board is thrilled to make this announcement, and we eagerly look to the future of Southwest Chicago Christian School under the leadership of Mr. Hamstra.