Charles Kyte
Executive Director
Minnesota Association of School Administrators

Dr. Kyte will begin his seventh year of leadership for the Minnesota Association of School Administrators.

Dr. Kyte's background includes a wide range of experiences at both the school district and state levels. He has been a teacher, coach, secondary principal, and a school superintendent. He has been active in the statewide dialogue on educational policy issues, serving on legislative policy commissions and working with a variety of groups to promote public education. An accomplished presenter, Dr. Kyte has spoken before numerous education groups, church and retreat groups, college classes, and service clubs.

As an MASA member, he has led the Executive Development and Nominating Committees, and has served on the MASA Board of Directors. He has brought his expertise to the Schools for Equity in Education Legislative Committee and the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning Staff Development Study Committee. He has directed the Committee for Public Education. As an advisor, Dr. Kyte has lent his guidance to St. Cloud State University's Center for Educational Leadership and Administration and the Minnesota Legislative Commission on Education's Task Force on School Organization.

Under Dr. Kyte's leadership, the Northfield Schools were recognized in Money Magazine's list of the top 100 schools in the USA (1997). He led the development of the Village School of Northfield Charter School. Dr. Kyte initiated language immersion and elementary choice programs for Northfield's Greenvale Park Elementary School, which led to the school being named a "Blue Ribbon School of Excellence."Before becoming superintendent of the Northfield Schools in 1989, Dr. Kyte was superintendent of the Eden Valley-Watkins Schools from 1981-1989. He was a high school principal for the Eden Valley-Watkins Schools for four years, and for the Storden-Jeffers Schools for three years. In the seven prior years, Dr. Kyte taught physics, chemistry, and math, and was a coach and class advisor.

An active member of the Northfield community, Dr. Kyte is the founding director of the Northfield Area Foundation, which promotes and directs philanthropy in the Northfield community. He is also a founding partner of Northfield Community Resource Center, which has recently erected a $5.6 million facility that houses six community service organizations. He is vice-chair of the Northfield Arts Guild, and a member of the Northfield Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, and the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative Committee. Dr. Kyte is a columnist for the Northfield News and other area newspapers. He is a patron of the arts and arts organizations.

Dr. Kyte's former leadership roles have included participation on the local fire department and rescue squad teams, his contribution as a church trustee, and terms as president of the local Lions Club and Education District Chair. He is a former mayor of the City of Eden Valley.

Dr. Kyte received his Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Minnesota in 1987. He holds a specialist's degree from Mankato State University, a master's degree from St. Cloud State University, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota at Duluth. In addition, he pursued post-baccalaureate studies at the University of Arkansas and he is a recipient of a Bush Fellowship, participating in the Bush School Executive Fellowship Program.

Dr. Kyte and his wife Dianne reside in the Northfield area. They are the parents of two daughters, Deborah and Stefanie. Along with three grandchildren and one on the way.

MASA is a professional organization whose mission is to establish the statewide agenda for children, serve as the preeminent voice for public education, and empower members through quality services and support. MASA members are school superintendents, directors of special education, other central office school administrators, regional administrators, and higher education administrators and professors from throughout Minnesota.