Team Volesky and Lukach to Retire | Video

Kristin Clouston | 5/17/2012

It`s been six years since the team of Volesky and Lukach paired up. Together, they have 83 years of educational experience. Superintendent Wilfred Volesky started out teaching in Hettinger and then went to South Heart.

"I was there for seven years," said Volesky. "That was the high school that I graduated from. I went back to teach, and in fact, I had my brothers and sisters in my classes."

He served as an administrator at Center, Bishop Ryan, Bowman-Rhame and Beulah before coming to Mandan.

"I want to share with you, each of those places, I moved a lot but it was my desire that I moved, not somebody else`s," he added with a laugh.

Volesky was Superintendent of the Year in 2001. Joe Lukach was Superintendent of the Year in 2002 at Des-Lac-Burlington. In 2003, he became Mandan`s business manager.

"As a business manager, you touch the financials and you work with people to help them meet the needs of kids and their projects and stuff, so it was more focused," said Lukach. "I didn`t have to drive the bus, I didn`t have to go to parent teacher conferences."

Volesky added, "I was very fortunate to have Joe as my business manager. Being a former superintendent, there were a lot of things that I was able to do bounce off of him, and he gave me good advice."

The two say they`ve been blessed with a wonderful staff and a progressive school board, and they`re confident their replacements will do a great job.

Volesky said, "Any time you come to a school district, you hope you have good people behind you, and they`ve got great people walking in. They`re great people coming in."

Both Volesky and Lukach will retire on June 30 and say they plan to spend their time fishing, hunting and being with their grandchildren.

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