Since August, BSM has had a temporary president, Mr. Shay Wyley. Today BSM announces Dr. Adam Ehrmantraut as our new president.

But Ehrmantraut isn’t new to BSM; he began his teaching career as a member of the BSM community in 1999. He worked here as a social studies and business teacher, advisor to the Youth in Government program, hockey coach, and dean. During his last year at BSM in 2006, Ehrmantraut served as interim principal.

“I believe wholeheartedly in what [BSM] is doing for its students and has a centralized mission built around whole student education, in mind, body, and spirit. To me, that’s a crucial way to look at a strong education plan,” Ehrmantraut said.

The way BSM puts faith into action through service work was a major draw for Ehrmantraut to return to BSM. As a teacher at BSM, Ehrmantraut accompanied students on a mission trip to Guatemala. “We’re very intentional, and that’s an important element in my eyes as an educator,” Ehrmantraut said.

While Ehrmantraut has great reverence for BSM’s heritage, he remains forward thinking about the long-term future of the school. “[My goal is] to continue to push the school forward and make sure the students get better and better. [I will] make sure that all the financials of the school are in great shape so generations to come can enjoy this experience,” Ehrmantraut said.

Before beginning his teaching and administrative career, Ehrmantraut received his Bachelor’s Degree in business from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, his Master’s Degree in teaching from the University of St. Thomas, and his Doctorate in Education at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.

In 2015, Ehrmantraut wrote his dissertation on adolescent prayer, which compared the prayer experience of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish students. During Ehrmantraut’s research, he interviewed students of various religions and had them journal about their experience with prayer. After collecting their journals, Ehrmantraut comparatively analyzed them, creating a prayer model about adolescent worship.

Ehrmantraut now uses his experience with the study of various religions to construct his administrative philosophy, emphasizing the value of everyday worship. “[Prayer] is important in terms of connecting with the divine and developing one’s faith which ties into developing one’s identity,” Ehrmantraut said.

In 2016, Ehrmantraut created Educators Link, an educator search and consulting company on behalf of independent and public schools. He left his company for his new position as BSM President. “This is where I need to be. I wouldn’t leave [my company] for anything else,” Ehrmantraut said.

Dr. Ehrmantraut will officially begin his position on Wednesday, February 1.