The consummate professional, Dr. Joe Koenigsknecht has excelled in every facet of his outstanding 31-year career as a teacher and administrator. He serves as assistant superintendent for human resources and labor relations at the West Bloomfield School District.

Dr. Koenigsknecht’s career in education began at Michigan State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1972. He then became a fifth grade teacher at the Buchanan (Mich.) Community Schools and then became a principal in the Mt. Pleasant Public Schools. In 1983, he was promoted to assistant superintendent for elementary instruction and personnel. He joined the West Bloomfield School District in 1989 and quickly established himself as leader of rare ability. Lauded for his ability to develop programs to recruit teachers and administrators, he was the architect of the Oakland Leadership Academy for Aspiring Principals, yearlong professional development program for teachers who want to develop administrative expertise. In large part because of Dr. Koenigsknect’s leadership, the academy was recognized with the 2001 Michigan Association of School Personnel Administrators (MASPA) Excellence Award. He also implemented a state-of-the-art online benefits accounting system – one of the first in the Detroit area. Dr. Koenigsknecht also has a long history of service to the profession. He currently serves as president-elect of MASPA and chairs the Professional Development Committee of the American Association of School Personnel Administrators.

In addition to his bachelor’s degree from MSU, he has an M.A. from Western Michigan University (1977) and a Ph.D. in K-12 administration from MSU (1998).