ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) – Northwest Allen County Schools (NACS) on Tuesday officially welcomed a new superintendent.

Wayne Barker will serve the district as superintendent beginning July 1. He has experience in the role from two other districts and has twice been named “Superintendent of the Year.”

“We’re thrilled to bring such a solid superintendent to continue the NACS legacy,” said Dr. Steve Yager, the district’s temporary superintendent. Yager served as the superintendent of NACS for 19 years, returning for the past five months to help the district secure its next leader.

“We welcome Wayne and his family with great excitement, and we look forward to working with him,” said Ron Felger, the president of NACS School Board.

Barker called the role “full-circle”, referencing his time as a teacher and coach at Carroll High School before his years serving as superintendent for other districts.

I feel privileged to come full circle by returning to NACS as superintendent. My intention is to build on the many strengths we already have including strong curriculum, extracurricular/cocurricular activities and athletics. Each of these strengths nurture the talents and passions of our students thanks to the expertise of our teachers and caring support staff. I’m eager to begin my next chapter with NACS.”

Wayne Barker