About Derek
Dr. Derek Ippensen is a sixteen-year educator with four years in the high school science classroom and twelve years in administration, most recently serving as High School Principal in Norfolk, NE.
He specializes in strategic planning and improvement; speaking engagements that include keynotes, presentations, workshops, and breakout sessions; individual and staff professional development; and individual and team coaching.
Dr. Ippensen is an eleven-time presenter at Nebraska’s Administrators’ Days and Nebraska Association of School Boards conferences; is a two-time accreditation visit chair; and has served on numerous committees at the local, regional, and state levels.
Learn more about Derek at DerekIppensen.com
Family
Jennifer and Derek were married in April of 1998, and have been partners in many adventures. Their twins, Sophie and Stella, are part of the class of 2025 and love school. They enjoy traveling together, discussing our latest reads, and competing with one another in board games and other games of chance.
Hobbies
It is important to find ways to continually "fill your bucket," since much of the daily work we do can easily drain us - of resources, of energy, of spirit. A number of the ways Derek has found to fill his bucket are:
Riding his motorcycle;
Taking photographs with his phone;
Sharing his motorcycle rides and photos at ruralramblings.weebly.com;
Building and creating with Legos;
Reading a variety of books;
Imagining and filling alternate worlds;
Building and creating through woodworking; and
Nurturing his lifelong fandom of Star Wars, the Dallas Cowboys, and Superman.
Interests
In addition to my hobbies, there are a number of subjects he has developed an interest in over the course of the years. These interests have also help to fill his bucket. Some of these interests are:
John Boyd and Maneuver Warfare;
Vintage motorcycles and motorcycle building;
Superheroes and their development; and
World-building in fiction and science fiction.