July 2016 Magazine | Page 51

Leadership through service, one child at a time. In my book, that’s more impressive than leaping tall buildings in a single bound. All photography is credited to Carrie Hall Photography 586-943-6747 We have food programs all year round to make sure children eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Randy started the ‘blessings in a backpack’ program, which fills backpacks with food for the weekends when the children are not in school, and the most impressive part is that the students and staff themselves volunteer to work these programs.” Being an immensely successful superintendent doesn’t necessarily mean Randy has at his disposal any superpowers however. He wears no cape, no mask, and no indestructible body armor. He attributes the accomplishments in his district to his ideals and philosophies, all stemming from one very simple concept: service. “I saw this in my grandfathers and my father. Make sure to take care of people. If my servant leadership is strong, the influence can be deep. If the influence is deep, the impact can be wide. If the impact is wide, the resources can come in to deepen the influence even more and widen the impact,” says Randy, who is also quick to give credit to those around him. “I’ve been fortunate to work with a great staff and to have a team of people who were willing to believe enough in the vision of service to give it a try. I am blessed every day to work with a great school community.” So who inspires such an inspirational man? Someone we all know and love as a visionary, as a dreamer and a doer. “Walt Disney,” says Randy. “His vision was and still is unparalleled. But maybe even more significant was his commitment to the roots of heritage; no matter how big Disney became, there was always the understanding that the beginning was a simple idea. For me, the idea will always be: how do we best serve students to help them achieve whatever they want in life?” Bestselling author and motivational speaker Chip St. Clair has been featured on Good Morning America, Dateline, and the Huffington Post among others, and most recently in a documentary series on OWN as well as Investigation Discovery, now airing in syndication worldwide. In 2007, Chip and Lisa founded the St. Clair Butterfly Foundation, a non-profit that helps children heal from traumatic experiences using therapeutic programs based in the creative arts. St. Clair’s mission is to eradicate the notion that children of sordid backgrounds are defined by their surroundings and destined to continue a cycle of suffering. Today, St. Clair continues to expand his foundation and lecture nationwide as a member of Premiere Speakers Bureau and Celebrity Talent International.  He is at work on several new fiction book projects, where he looks to offer readers of all ages the same inspiration and enjoyment he found in books as a child. St. Clair resides in Michigan with the love of his life, Lisa. For more information visit  www.ChipStClair.com