Elementary School Principal Zachary Craft, '12, Joins NIUAA Board of Directors
By Tony Scott
Zachary Craft, '12, was named to the NIUAA Board of Directors beginning July 1. (Photo by Van Gogh Photography)
Zachary Craft, ’12, attributes much of his success in life with skills he learned as an NIU student. A career educator, first as a teacher and then as an administrator, he joined six of his fellow alumni as new members of the NIU Alumni Association Board of Directors on July 1, 2024.
Craft, who currently serves as principal of Highland Elementary School in Downers Grove, Illinois, worked as assistant principal of Bristol Bay Elementary School in Yorkville, Illinois, from 2016 to 2019 and as a teacher at H.C. Storm School in Batavia, Illinois, from 2012 to 2016.
“One of the skills I was to able gain during my time at NIU was collaboration,” he said. “Being able to collaborate and build relationships with those around me has been critical in every aspect of my career. Whether it was building relationships with my students during my time as a teacher, or building relationships with staff and families as a principal, being able to effectively collaborate and build relationships has been vital to moving us all forward.”
After graduating from NIU, Craft continued to be involved as an alumnus through the NIU Alumni Association (NIUAA).
“Through the alumni association I have had the opportunity to be an NIU Nexus volunteer, participate in recruiting efforts and serve as a facilitator of a program focused on helping students build their personal brand,” he said. “I have spoken to groups of students in the College of Education and shared how to navigate the hiring process within education, and have had the opportunity to connect with NIU students enrolled in the University Experience course, both in person and virtually. This is in addition to being an avid NIU sports fan and enjoying many games at Huskie Stadium and the Convocation Center.”
Craft believes that a strong alumni association can have a positive influence on current students.
"I applied to serve on the board of directors to continue to strengthen the bond between NIU, the NIUAA, and Huskies everywhere," he said. "A strong alumni association has the potential to make a positive impact directly on students. By creating opportunities for current Huskies to engage with our alumni, we allow them to benefit from the experiences, skills, and expertise that our alumni have amassed as a result of their high-quality NIU education.”
In addition to his career accomplishments, Craft pointed to his experience as a member of the Geneva, Illinois, Public Library District Board of Trustees as an example of his experience collaborating with others.
“After engaging in a comprehensive review of the organization, our board put forth a nearly $21 million referendum to build a new library in Geneva for the first time in 100 years,” he said. “After a lengthy referendum process, we successfully passed a referendum to build a new library in 2016. As a board we oversaw the design and construction process and opened a new library in 2020.”
To Craft, being an engaged alumnus means applying your skills to help NIU students succeed.
“NIU does a tremendous job preparing Huskies for success in their field of choice, but there are always opportunities to strengthen that programming and provide avenues for additional support,” he said. “Being an engaged alumnus means having a desire to move NIU forward and means taking action by leveraging your skills to meet the needs of NIU and Huskies everywhere.”
Craft said he believes in the value that an education from NIU brings to students.
“My time at NIU was transformational and helped me to realize much of my potential,” he said. “As an educator, I believe that a quality education is one of the most valuable things in a person’s life and is the key to moving our society forward.”
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