As he’s primed to leave for a new opportunity, a longtime Austin Public Schools worker is crediting the district with preparing him for his next opportunity.

Austin Human Resources Director Brad Bergstrom is working toward a contract to become Thief River Falls School District superintendent.

Bergstrom said he’s excited about possibly going to a new district, but he won’t forget the people and lessons learned in Austin.

“It’s not programs or buildings that make a place great, it’s the people,” he said. “That’s the bittersweet piece.”

In 2013, Bergstrom stepped down as Austin High School principal to become human resources director, which some saw as a step down. But it was a step toward the goal of becoming a superintendent for Bergstrom.

He said his time in Austin and as HR director helped him work toward becoming a superintendent position.

“I was given the opportunity by the superintendent to have a lot of their duties, it was good training ground and good opportunities to lead,” Bergstrom said.

Bergstrom completed a degree last year in educational leadership and administration from St. Mary’s University in Winona.

He noted the district office has been very supportive and worked with officials on curriculum, special education and finance.

“They all helped me to understand the big picture as superintendent,” Bergstrom said. “Having interaction with principals and leadership groups, all of that together helped me get the idea of what superintendents have to do.”

The Austin Public Schools Board accepted Bergstrom’s resignation Monday as part of a personnel package, though it didn’t discuss his departure.

That frees up Bergstrom and the human resources director in Thief River Falls to act on a contract.

Bergstrom hopes to be a good listener for Thief River Falls and bring a collaborative nature. He also wants to be an integral part of the community, and spoke highly of their district.

“They have a great school board, administrative leaders, they’ve got fantastic staff and they’ve got a superintendent leaving who’s done some great things to get the district in line to the right direction,” Bergstrom said. “They have a lot of passion, much like what I see here in Austin as well. They want what’s best for kids.”

Bergstrom has two daughters, one who just graduated from Concordia in Moorhead and one in her sophomore year at college in Mankato.