Superintendent Search
Finalist Selected
On March 6, 2026, the Board of Education has selected Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools for the Appleton Area School District Michael Hernandez to serve as the next superintendent of schools and learning for GBAPS. Hernandez will begin in that role July 1, 2026.
Superintendent Finalists
The Board of Education has narrowed the superintendent finalists to two candidates who will be in the District the week of March 2, 2026. Staff, families, students, and the public are invited to meet the finalists during their “Day in the District.”
The Meet & Greets will be held at 5:00 p.m. at West High School, in the Old Library on the second floor. Elevator access is available for anyone who is unable to use the stairs. Attendees are asked to bring their questions written and to submit them to the moderator of the event.
Wednesday, March 4 - Michael Hernandez
Michael Hernandez is an accomplished educational leader with more than two decades of experience advancing equity, instructional excellence, and systemic school improvement. He currently serves as Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools for the Appleton Area School District, where he supervises comprehensive High Schools, Charter Schools, an Alternative Program, and District Athletics. Previously, he served as the Chief of Secondary Schools for the Madison Metropolitan School District, overseeing Secondary Schools and Alternative programs. A former High School and Middle School Principal in Wisconsin, Illinois, and California, Hernandez led Madison East High School as the first National AVID Demonstration School in the state of Wisconsin, modeling college-readiness systems and culturally responsive instructional practices for schools across the country. Throughout his career, he has guided Urban Schools to state and national recognition, including School of Recognition honors and PBIS distinctions, while driving measurable gains in student achievement and closing opportunity gaps.
In addition to his district leadership, Hernandez serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Edgewood College, teaching courses in multicultural education, race and educational inequality, curriculum planning, and principalship to future educational leaders. A Harvard-trained leader in Urban Leadership and Instructional Rounds and a graduate of the Howard University Urban Superintendent Program, he is widely recognized for his expertise in culturally responsive leadership, AVID implementation, equity audits, and strategic school reform. Hernandez has been named one of Madison 365’s “20 Most Influential Latinos in Wisconsin” and remains deeply engaged in community leadership through service on nonprofit and workforce development boards. His leadership is grounded in the belief that strong culture, clear instructional vision, and courageous systems thinking create schools where every student thrives, and every educator feels empowered to lead.
Thursday, March 5 - Dr. Michael E. Trimberger Jr.
Dr. Michael E. Trimberger Jr. currently serves as Superintendent of the School District of Random Lake, where he has led a comprehensive district transformation centered on strong classrooms, strong culture, and strong community connections. With a Ph.D. in Urban Educational Leadership from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, he brings experience as a former special education teacher and building administrator at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in both urban and rural settings across Wisconsin.
Under his leadership, Random Lake has reached historic milestones: 100% of graduates have completed a meaningful career experience, 93% have earned college credits before graduation, and 45% of upperclassmen have been engaged in Youth Apprenticeships or other structured work-based learning alongside local employers during the school day. His impact in career-connected learning reaches across Wisconsin, where he co-chaired the development and implementation of the state’s K–12 Career Readiness Standards through the Department of Public Instruction.
Dr. Trimberger is co-founder and board president of Inspire WI, a nonprofit organization serving much of Wisconsin by building structured partnerships between schools and employers. Through this work, he has helped districts of varying sizes design systems that align academic rigor with real-world application, strengthening both student outcomes and local economies.
He is drawn to the Green Bay Area Public School District’s Portrait of a Graduate vision and the strength of the NEW North region’s economic partnerships. Throughout his career, he has aligned instructional excellence, fiscal responsibility, and community collaboration to drive measurable academic growth while maintaining disciplined stewardship of taxpayer resources. In Random Lake, this approach resulted in sustained academic gains, the successful passage of the largest referendum in district history, and a nine-year reduction in the district’s mill rate.
As a father of a public high school junior and the husband of an educator, Dr. Trimberger understands firsthand the importance of strong public schools. He is committed to working collaboratively with the GBAPS board of education, staff, families, and community partners to educate all students to be college, career, and community ready, inspired to succeed in our diverse world.
Timeline
March 4 & 5, 2026: Second round of interviews
March 11, 2026: Selection announcement
March - April 2026: Contract negotiations