From an announcement on the Nooksack Valley SD website
February 22, 2021
Mark Galley has been named the new superintendent of Nooksack Valley School District starting at the end of June
Galley was a logical fit for this role, as he completed his superintendent academic coursework in 2014 and entered a formal internship with the current superintendent Mark Johnson, who served as NV Schools superintendent for 28 years.
Galley started his NV career in 1999 as a physical education and English teacher and assistant football and baseball coach (he was the head baseball coach the following year). Galley moved to the assistant principal role for the 2005-06 school year and then two years later became the principal.
Johnson believes Galley will lead the district well. “Matt has been successful at everything he’s done,” he says. “He was an outstanding teacher and coach, an excellent assistant principal and principal. A good indicator of future success is a past full of success.”
Galley says that the board choosing to hire from within shows their belief in the direction Johnson has led the district. “This will be a little different than if I was going to a new district because there is so much familiarity with things beyond the high school, even though I have a tremendous amount to learn,” he says. “We have tremendous stability and leadership at all levels.” Galley will lead a group that includes elementary school principals Kevin DeVere, Katie Brown, and Megan Vigre, middle school principal Joel VanderYacht and current NV High School assistant principal Collin Buckley as the new principal of NVHS. Cindy Stockwell, the assistant superintendent, has been in the district office for 15 years.
Johnson knows Galley is ready. “I have complete confidence that Matt will be a successful superintendent,” he says. “He is beyond ready, so much more so than I was so many years ago. He will hit the ground running and bring fresh energy to the work. I’m excited for him and for the district moving forward.”
