Sioux City, Iowa –The Sioux City Community School District has announced Dr. Timothy (Tim) Miller, Dr. Will Pickens III, and Mr. James (Jim) Vanderloo as the final three candidates for the District’s superintendent position.
Dr. Tim Miller
Miller most recently served as Executive Director of the Uvalde Moving Forward Foundation in Uvalde, Texas. In his position, he coordinated efforts to raise $60 million to build Legacy Elementary School in Uvalde to replace Robb Elementary School, the site of a 2022 mass shooting. Miller collaborated with multiple community groups, including families of the victims, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, architects, and others to design and open the new school building.
Prior to that role, Miller served as the Director of Leadership Development for the Charles Butt Foundation in Austin, Texas; the Superintendent in Residence for the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation, also in Austin; and the Superintendent of Cleburne Independent School District in Cleburne, Texas; among other leadership roles.
Miller holds an Ed.D. in educational leadership from the University of Texas at Austin along with a master’s degree in education with a specialization in school administration, master’s degree in teaching, and bachelor’s degree in humanities from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He also completed post-doctoral studies in educational leadership from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Mr. Jim Vanderloo
Vanderloo currently serves as Interim Superintendent and Director of Secondary Education and Activities for the Sioux City Community School District. In his current position as Interim Superintendent, he oversees all
operations from academics to financial management of the District’s nearly 14,000 students and 2,500 employees. Additionally, as Director of Secondary Education and Activities, Vanderloo oversees six high schools and middle schools, was instrumental in the opening of the Sioux City Career Academy for career and technical education and decreased the dropout rates while increasing the graduation rates district-wide.
Prior to his current roles, Vanderloo served as head principal at West High School, assistant principal at North High School and Woodrow Wilson Middle School, and a special education teacher, all in the Sioux City Community School District, among other roles.
Vanderloo holds a specialist in education degree in educational administration and master’s degrees in educational administration and physical education – athletic administration from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota, and a bachelor’s in special education and physical education from Morningside University in Sioux City.
Dr. Will Pickens III
Pickens currently serves as Deputy Chief of Schools for Chicago Public Schools in Chicago, Illinois. In his current role, he supervises 35 schools, serving over 20,000 students, on the southwest side of Chicago. Pickens created “Coffee with a Deputy” to engage parents across the district, oversaw the implementation of the strategic plan, and provides financial oversight of the network’s $352 million budget.
Prior to his current role, Pickens served as Chief Administrative Services /Deputy Superintendent for the Chester County School District in Chester, South Carolina; the K-8 principal for West Broward Academy in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and K-8 principal for Voyageur Academy in Detroit, Michigan; among other leadership roles.
Pickens holds an Ed.D. in leadership and professional studies from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee, along with a specialist in education degree in educational leadership from Columbus State University, in Columbus, Georgia; a master’s degree in education in school counseling from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia; and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Community Input and Search Timeline
The public is invited to hear from the superintendent candidates during separate community forums on Wednesday, April 29 in room 118 of the Educational Service Center, located at 627 4th Street in downtown Sioux City. Free street parking around the Educational Service Center is available beginning at 5 pm. Miller will be present from 4 pm to 5 pm; Pickens will be present from 5:15 pm to 6:15 pm; and Vanderloo will be present from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The community may submit questions for the candidates ahead of time at https://tinyurl.com/4kx45ztz. Questions must be received by Friday, April 24, at 5 pm CST to be considered for the community forums.
The Board of Directors of the Sioux City Community School District is expected to announce its selection of the District’s new superintendent in early May. The new superintendent will assume his position for the 2026-2027 school year on July 1, 2026.