The superintendent of Albert Lea Area School, an officer in the Minnesota National Guard, was promoted to colonel from lieutenant colonel this week in a ceremony in St. Paul.

After finishing two years of classes through the U.S. Army War College, Mike Funk was promoted to director of planning for the Minnesota National Guard. That also led to a promotion.

Funk said Maj. Gen. Richard Nash gave him the promotion at 2:30 today. He’d been a lieutenant colonel for more than five years. Funk originally joined in 1988, and he never anticipated he’d stay enlisted this long.

“I thought I’d stay for 20 years,” Funk said. “I didn’t expect the opportunity to go to war college.”

Funk was one of three people in the state who are chosen each year to attend the college. He took classes online and will finish up his second year this summer. He’ll leave the college with a master’s degree in strategic studies.

“It’s an honor to be picked,” Funk said.

The college has expanded his perspective, and he said he likes learning more about leadership, which helps him as a superintendent.