Beyond the Boardroom: Champaign schools superintendent Shelia Boozer

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SHELIA BOOZER‘s story starts in Springfield, where the oldest of five siblings attended the neighborhood parochial school after the local public district began busing in response to a consent decree. 

To help cover tuition at the former Ursuline Academy, the high school she graduated from, the future superintendent of Champaign schools worked on the side. (More on that later). 

“It’s important to note that I paid for my own education because, while my parents instilled in me a love for learning, I never wanted to be a financial burden on them,” Boozer says. “I knew they had younger children who needed their support.” 

In between earning her first of four degrees (from Lincoln Land Community College) and No. 2 (from the University of Illinois at Springfield), Boozer moved to Colorado Springs, where she met and married the love of her life, Lance. 

“Although I entered the field of education later than most, I’ve always been passionate about it, and now, as I enter my 28th year, I’m proud of the journey,” she says. It began with a first job in Decatur for one year, followed by 22 back in Springfield and now going on four in Champaign, “where I plan to retire.” 

The mother of three and grandmother of three (all under age three) took time out to answer questions from Editor Jeff D’Alessio in the 275th installment of our weekly speed read spotlighting leaders of organizations big and small.

My philosophy on meetings is ... that they should be purposeful, efficient and collaborative. Everyone should have an opportunity to contribute, and meetings should result in actionable outcomes or decisions.

If the content can be delivered in an email, then let’s not meet for the sake of meeting. Nobody has time for that.

The hardest thing about being a leader is ... being a leader. Actually, the difficulty is balancing the needs of the team with the demands of the district and all our stakeholders. It’s challenging to make decisions that benefit everyone while also driving results.

Ensuring that each team member feels heard, motivated and supported, while maintaining a clear vision and direction, requires constant adaptability and emotional intelligence. It’s not just about guiding others, but also about staying grounded and continuing to grow as a leader myself.

My favorite moments in this job involve … visiting buildings and reconnecting with my “why.” I love walking through the halls and visiting classrooms, reading to and talking with students.

When my students recognize me and call my name, it’s incredibly rewarding. I never wanted to be a leader who was disconnected from the students, and I do this work because of them.

It’s amazing to see the impact of our collective efforts on students’ growth and success. Whether it’s witnessing a student achieve something they didn’t think was possible, or hearing from a teacher about the positive changes in their classroom, those moments are a reminder of why we do this work.

It’s about creating opportunities for every student to thrive, and those moments of transformation, big or small, are what make this role so rewarding.

I can’t live without my ... faith in God or my family. Both are the foundation of who I am.

My faith gives me strength, guidance and purpose, while my family provides love, support and a sense of belonging.

Together, they keep me grounded and motivated to be my best self every day. I am extremely blessed to have both.

The three terms I hope my staff would use to describe me are … ethical, collaborative and risk-taker.

My professional role model is ... the late Dr. Maya Angelou, whose wisdom was unmatched. I will never forget how I felt when I read her autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” I understood the singing of the caged bird is indicative of a voice that remains through oppression.

That cage represented oppression, racism, sexism and the abuse Dr. Angelou suffered. She had a remarkable ability to articulate what others often thought but were too afraid to express.

Dr. Angelou inspired many through her voice, whether as a performer, poet or civil rights activist. She deeply understood the weight that words can carry — their capacity to uplift or wound, to move mountains or incite conflict. She knew that words possess immense power, can penetrate deeply and sometimes bring pain.

A few of her quotes particularly resonate with me: “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty,” and “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.”

I cannot leave out: “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”

I’m frugal in that … I love a good bargain — clearance and I are on a first-name basis. I’d much rather buy three or more nice things for the price of one.

In fact, I absolutely do not like having a car note. I drove my previous truck, Daisy, for 18 years before my amazing husband finally convinced me to buy a new one.

I named the new truck Destiny. I plan to keep her for a long time as well. It’s all about getting the most value out of what I spend.

If I could trade places for a week with any other business person in town, I wouldn’t mind switching with … Josh Whitman, the athletic director at UIUC.

I recognize that his role comes with its challenges, but the chance to influence the lives of so many student-athletes by recruiting coaches and staff to build a strong, well-rounded athletic program would be incredibly rewarding.

What many people don’t know about me is my deep passion for sports. OK, so I also really want to be at as many sporting events as possible as an unofficial coach.

My one non-negotiable rule of the workplace is … to prioritize your own well-being and that of your family. By doing so, you’ll be in a better position to take care of our core mission: supporting our students.

The single-most important question I ask job candidates during interviews is … so, why Unit 4? I ask this to understand what you’ve learned about us and to see if you’ve done your research, showing that you’re genuinely interested in joining our team.

The first thing I do when I get to work most days is … refill my coffee. Then, I touch base with my assistant, Tammy, to review my schedule and go over the day’s agenda. We also take a moment to recap the previous day to identify any follow-up actions I may need to take.

For lunch … lunch? What’s that? Honestly, most days I bring a healthy meal from home and eat it at my desk while catching up on emails or listening to Spotify or a podcast.

Sometimes, a teammate will ask if I brought food and offer to pick something up if I haven’t.

I’m committed to staying physically, mentally and emotionally healthy as I approach retirement so I can fully enjoy time with my husband, our children and our beautiful grandchildren.

I wind down after work by … calling my husband, Lance, on my way home to chat about the day. That way, when I get home, we can have dinner and relax with some sports or a true crime show.

One of the most unforgettable luxuries I’ve experienced was … a family cruise. My family has always been passionate about cruising. Despite not being able to swim, you might think I’d be afraid of being on the water, but in reality, being near it fills me with energy and joy.

We sailed to the Caribbean with my parents and our three kids. It was a time of togetherness, joy and appreciation for one another — a true blessing.

My parents made countless sacrifices for me and my siblings as we grew up, and now, as they enter their golden years, it’s more important than ever to cherish them and create lasting memories.

The most beneficial college class I took was … Psychology of Women. I’ve always found the scientific study of the mind, behavior and human experience — especially mental processes, decisions, personality and social interactions —fascinating.

It was in that class during my sophomore year at Lincoln Land Community College that I transitioned from being an undecided major to declaring psychology as my major and elementary education as my minor. The two fields of study complemented each other perfectly.

I’m up and at ’em every day by … 6 a.m. Monday through Friday. It’s important to me to have some quiet time for prayer and devotion before diving into my usually busy day.

I spend about 30 minutes on my IC Schwinn spin bike, listening to my devotional and then some music.

I’m also working on adding low-impact cardio, strength training and balance exercises into my routine. To all the women in their 50s and older, you know exactly what I’m talking about. But we’ve got this!

The worst job I ever had was ... working retail. As a 16-year-old teenager, I took a part-time position in the linens department at Goldblatt’s in Springfield, and it was painfully boring.

It’s tough to look busy when you’re surrounded by nothing but towels — there’s only so much folding you can do.

To make matters worse, as a teenage girl, I hardly ever saw any teenage boys wandering through the linen section. Honestly, I’m not even sure how I ended up in that department in the first place.

After about one month, I left and became the “drive-up queen” at McDonald’s, even making biscuits at 5 a.m. But the best position at McDonald’s by far was when I became a hostess for children’s birthday parties.

Now, that was a job. The uniforms were so cute.