“I just missed the students,” says Dr. Dufour, who shares that another aspect of his role was to travel the area, building relationships with the principals and superintendents of the ten high schools that feed into Shawnee Community College. He shares that while visiting Meridian, he had an hour-and-a-half-long conversation with Meridian Superintendent Jonathan Green that resonated with him.

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“I like seeing a leader who has a vision for the district, who is in it for the long hall and in it for the students,” shares Dr. Dufour, adding, “I cast a wide net, but I immediately reached out to Mr. Green when I saw they had an opening.”

 

Dr. Dufour spent last year teaching junior and senior classes in the special education classroom. He says he built strong relationships with his students, making his recent decision to transition to Dean of Students difficult.

 

“Even though I love being in a classroom and teaching, I look at how I can affect the largest number of students, and you do that by being a leader. I’ve been a high school athletic director and a principal,” shares Dr. Dufour.

 

He adds, “Kids don’t come to school in the morning thinking, how can I mess things up or get in trouble with my teacher? Being in the hallways, I got to see all the kids. That early teenage time frame is tough for the guys; it is tough for the girls. I spent the last year mentoring some of the teachers and working with some of the kids, so when I call them in now, if there’s an issue, it becomes a nonissue. They know me, and they’re comfortable with me.”

 

Dr. Dufour isn’t your typical administrator. He runs ultramarathons, owns a small business focusing on candles, and has a sleeve tattoo. He traces his interest in education back to the military. A twenty-year veteran and Marine retiree, Dr. Dufour says he spent over half his career teaching others. The Marines is also where he learned leadership.

 

“As a young rifleman, you’ve got thirteen riflemen in a squad. The first leadership position you earn in the Marines is a fire team leader with three guys under you. Then, as a squad leader, you have twelve guys. As a platoon sergeant, you’re in charge of thirty-six guys. I had that innate ability to frame things to get people to do what you want them to do.”

 

Dr. Dufour prioritizes a skill drilled into military leaders, modeling the behaviors he wants to see. From his children—one of whom followed in his footsteps and is a kindergarten teacher working on his master’s in education—to the students he hopes to impact, he leads by example.

 

Dr. Dufour sees something special in the Meridian school district: “I drive thirty-one miles, each way, daily. There are other places I could have gone that were closer. But closer isn’t better. I love the staff out here. I know they have my back. We can only get these kids across the finish line if we all work together.”