Brian Annen Hired as Gibraltar Elementary Principal

Brian Annen has always made art and music a part of his family’s life, and for him Gibraltar Area Schools is a perfect fit.

“It’s always been part of our routine and our daily life – doing things that center around art and music, especially the theater,” Annen said. “We just wanted to instill that in our boys and make sure that opportunity was available to them.”

Next month, Annen will take over as Gibraltar Elementary School’s principal. He’s leaving the Unified School District of Antigo, where he served as principal of two elementary schools for a year, and is ready to make a life for his family in Door County.

“[I applied to] get my family into an environment that appreciates the arts and music and a love of nature as well,” Annen said. “We’ve vacationed in Door County before, we like the area and we thought it was a good area to raise children.”

Annen and his wife have two sons, one 6 and one 3 years old.

“We’re excited to move to that area and experience everything that comes with Door County,” he said.

Annen has spent 12 years working in education, teaching first through fifth grades in Edgerton and Oregon, Wis. Although he liked teaching and spending time in the classroom, the opportunity to work with all age groups drew him to administration.

“I knew I liked working with a variety of age levels and different types of students,” Annen said. “It was encouraged to me by other principals and administrators that this would be something I should pursue.”

Leading a school is a welcome challenge. It’s even more challenging at a time when public education policy is controversial and changing.

“I keep on top of those topics and I’m able to help teachers understand them and work on them,” Annen said. “Their plate’s always full. [I want to] make sure we concentrate and do one thing at a time and do it effectively and do it efficiently and keep our minds on the students and helping them be successful learners.”

Annen said that even though things are changing for public education, Gibraltar is on track.

“I think with the plan that Mrs. Van Meer has set up and the direction the school district is going, along with the support of the board I hear about, I think that’s a great direction and [Gibraltar] is a great school district to get involved in,” Annen said. “I’m excited to get to know everybody and work with those kids and become a member of that community.”