Provost was hired as the new Assistant Superintendent of Thornapple Kellogg Schools in September. Since then, he said he has hit the ground running and has no plans to stop.
“I try to be a servant leader. I want to meet all the staff and get to know them, not just as staff members but as humans. I want to know them. Building relationships is at the forefront of everything we do in education,” he said.
Prior to coming to TK, Provost worked at Godfrey Lee Public Schools since 2009. He started there as a district accountant, then became executive director of finance and human resources, and for the last four years as assistant superintendent of administrative services.
He has an accounting background and worked at BDO Seidman, a large national accounting firm, before switching to a career working for schools. He completed his undergraduate degree in accounting from Grand Valley in 2007 and his MBA with an emphasis on human resource management from Davenport in 2016.
Provost knew he was ready for a change from Godfrey Lee and a new challenge. “TK is a very attractive district with a lot going for it. I see a supportive community and a district that takes pride in education. There is a commitment to excellence here. It’s easy to tell there is great pride in the district,” he said.
He also has known TK Superintendent Craig McCarthy for several years and has heard of the district’s successes. “The financial health of the district is impressive, and the fact that you just finished up bond projects shows growth,” he said.
In his first weeks and months in the district, Provost said he will spend a lot of time learning the systems in place, meeting people in the community and gaining an understanding of how the schools and community work together.
“It’s hard to lead sitting behind a computer all day,” he said. “I want to get out and be involved. I see committed staff who do what they can to help every student. And the students are always at the forefront. Students come first.”
Provost said he has a mindset of growth and success for the district. “I like the saying, ‘Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today,’” he said. “We just have to keep working on always doing our best.”
He also says the district reminds him of his own hometown, Gladwin. “Gladwin is a lot like this where the school is such a big part of the community, and the community supports the schools. It’s about working together,” he said.
Touring around the district, Provost said made him feel right at home. “I like the country roads and the farms. It just feels like home. It resembles so much of my own upbringing,” he said.
Provost lives in Caledonia with his wife, Michelle, and their three boys, 11-year-old Blake, and 8-year-old twins, Jack and Luke.
In his free time, he enjoys watching his sons play soccer and playing with them, pickleball, golfing, skiing, hiking, camping, being outdoors, and just being with his family.