Val Rae Boe

Val Rae Boe has served the students and staff at Northeast Metro 916 since 2006. In her tenure, she has been a teacher, assistant manager, manager, leader of secondary and transition programs, and assistant director of special education. Val Rae is a respected researcher, and conference presenter focused on topics including animal-assisted therapy, staff resilience and retention, and nature-based education programming. She was named a WCCO Excellent Educator in 2014. Val is a licensed superintendent, director of special education, and principal; a licensed teacher of students with emotional/behavior disorders (EBD) and specific learning disabilities (SLD); and holds a doctorate, master’s, and bachelor’s degree in education.

Dan Naidicz

Daniel Naidicz

Assistant Superintendent of Specialized Services 
651-415-5651
Special Education Department Webpage

Dan Naidicz's experience working in special education includes many years as a school psychologist, special education coordinator, and director of special education. Dan worked very closely with Northeast Metro 916 special education programs while working for 20 years in Stillwater Area Public Schools. In 2010, Dan joined Northeast Metro 916 as the director of special education; in 2018, he became executive director. Dan is a Fulbright Scholar and has provided leadership training to school administrators in Argentina and Brazil. He was appointed to the Board of School Administrators by Governor Mark Dayton, representing special education directors. Dan has a bachelor's degree in psychology and recreation therapy, and a master's in school psychology from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse. In 2003, Dan obtained his director of special education license from the University of St. Thomas.

Mark Kumlien

Mark Kumlien

Executive Director of Finance
651-415-5650
Finance & Operations Department Webpage

Mark joined Northeast Metro 916 in 2021 with more than eleven years of experience supporting education through solid financial leadership. He is a detail-oriented, strategic school finance professional highly regarded for leadership and specialized excellence in all areas of school finance. Mark is the former Assistant Director of Finance for the Hudson School District, where he facilitated budget development, financial reporting, forecasting, and oversight of the financial services department. He holds an MS in School Business Management from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and is a Certified School Risk Manager. Mark enjoys combining his financial leadership skills with his passion for building solid relationships to enrich the collaboration process between the support functions of our District.

Megan McAllister

Megan McAllister

Director of Human Resources
651-415-5569
Human Resources Department Webpage

Megan has been a member of the human resources department at Northeast Metro 916 since 2009, serving as a staffing coordinator and HR supervisor before stepping into her current role in 2021. Much of her work has focused on the recruitment and retention of staff, specifically “grow your own” initiatives and other innovative recruitment strategies. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from St. Mary’s University and is a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Certified Professional. Megan is passionate about the incredible work that 916 does to support students and finding meaningful ways to support our staff.

Elam Noor

Elam Noor

Director of Technology
651-415-5504
Technology Department Webpage

Although Elam Noor was born in Hilton, South Africa, he has made the east metro of the Twin Cities his home since 1996. After graduating with degrees in enterprise computer technology and technology operations management at Minnesota State Universities (MnSCU), Elam assumed technology roles in several private sector fields, from banking to real estate, until he discovered a passion for education technology. He has served as part of the technology teams at MnSCU, Stillwater Public Schools, and Hill-Murray School. In 2016, Elam joined Northeast Metro 916 as the technology director and leadership team member. In addition to his work at the district, Elam is the president of the non-profit NGO Bantfwana Phambili, which provides secondary education and support for underprivileged students in South Africa. A self-described geek, Elam enjoys working with his fellow geeks in the technology department and spreading a passion for improving education with technology districtwide.

Scott Thomas

Scott Thomas

Director of Educational Services
651-415-5609
Educational Services Department Webpage

Scott came to our district in 2020 with more than 20 years of experience serving as a resourceful leader working to advance equitable access to education, achievement, and opportunity.  

He is the former principal of two racially- and economically-diverse magnet schools in the Rosemount-Eagan-Apple Valley school district. Both schools received national recognition as magnet schools of excellence. Before that, Scott served as the executive director for Magnet Schools of America, based in Washington D.C. During this time, Scott worked to develop national standards for magnet schools that define essential characteristics that include leveraging student diversity in meaningful ways, equity, family and community engagement, academic excellence, and theme fidelity. Scott has served as a consultant with school districts on projects related to magnet school design, student selection, evaluation and improvement, and systemic school equity. He also served as a member of several non-profit boards, including the Teaching Tolerance Advisory Board, and is Anti-bias Framework Certified Trainer. He is the father of three children and lives with his husband in Eagan. 

Shanaya Walker

Shanaya Walker

Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
651-415-5611
Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Website

Shanaya Walker is a lifetime Twin Cities resident, growing up in Saint Paul. Shanaya completed her undergraduate Social Work degree at the College of St. Catherine's. She graduated from Augsburg College, receiving her Master's degree in Social Work; Shanaya also received her Director of Special Education licensure at Hamline University. Shanaya has been with Northeast Metro 916 for the past 11 years in various roles, including Social Worker, Restorative Practices Lead, Diversity Equity, and Inclusion Manager, and currently, as the Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion.