District leadership at Evergreen Park Elementary School District (D124) are excited to announce a new face coming to Central Middle School (CMS) for the 2022-23 school year. Dr. Joe Zamipillo has been named as the next principal for CMS and will take over duties from outgoing principal Shannon Swilley this summer. 

Dr. Zampillo has 28 years of experience in the education field including as a social studies teacher, director of recruitment and admissions, middle school dean of students, middle school assistant principal, and school principal. He completed his bachelor’s degree in teaching at the University of Illinois Chicago, his master’s in education leadership at DePaul University, and his doctoral degree at Governors State University. He comes to D124 after 11 years as principal at Worth Junior High in District 127. 

“I love serving middle school students because they need strong support,” said Dr. Zampillo. “They are in that in-between time where they are finding their identities and need an academic challenge as well as social and emotional support.”

Growing up in the south Chicago suburbs, Zampillo has called the Oak Lawn area home for the past 20 years with his wife of 24 years and two college-aged children. He was drawn to Evergreen Park and CMS because of the strong community and passion for students. 

“I think that this is a special place,” said Zampillo. “I know that it is a strong community with strong connections to the school that is willing to work together to benefit students and that’s important to me. Excellence is about people lifting each other up to help students succeed.” 

The district held a robust principal search process which featured input from CMS staff, students, and families to ultimately determine the next building leader. Staff and families provided input via a survey and were invited to participate in interviews to identify top candidates in hopes of finding the right fit for the school. 

“Central Middle School is a wonderful place filled with passionate teachers, motivated students, and a team that really believes in and cares about the success of each student,” said D124 Superintendent Dr. Jenna Woodland. “We were careful in finding the next leader for this school who will lead it with the dedication and care that it deserves, and we found that leader in Dr. Zampillo. I am excited to work with him to continue to improve how we educate our students.”