Tim Lutz is an educator who has held a number of roles in various Minnesota school districts. He has served as a high school teacher, school counselor, principal, and, for the last 17 years, a superintendent in three school districts. He is currently in his third year as the superintendent of Red Lake School District located in the Red Lake Nation in northern Minnesota. Tim’s greatest enjoyment has always come from visiting schools and getting to know staff and students in order to improve the culture and climate of the school environment. He believes strongly that educators who know their students well are best equipped to gauge what is needed to keep their schools safe.

While serving as superintendent of Bemidji Area Schools, Lutz was accepted into the AASA National Superintendent Certification Program. His Capstone Project for the program was the development of a comprehensive All-Hazards Emergency Operations Plan coupled with an Emergency Communications Plan for the district. While developing these projects, Lutz worked with the Minnesota School Safety Center to finalize both plans into one effective and powerful tool to assess, prevent, mitigate and recover from potential crisis scenarios. He also collaborated with local individuals who had personally experienced school shootings. He greatly appreciated the knowledge base and support provided by Missy Dodds who is a survivor of the Red Lake School shooting in 2005.

Tim and his wife Karyn currently reside in northern Minnesota where they enjoy many outdoor hobbies and activities. They enjoy volunteering with many civic organizations and community initiatives in the Bemidji area.