Madison County regional superintendent to retire, wife running to replace him

Madison County Regional Superintendent of Schools Robert Werden is not seeking re-election, but his wife is running unopposed to replace him.

Werden plans to retire in June after serving as regional superintendent for seven years. Before holding the office, he was a teacher for 18 years and later was the Madison County Career and Technical Education System director.

Nancy Werden, who is currently the superintendent of East Alton School District 13, also has an extensive career in education. She has taught for several years and has held multiple school and district-level leadership positions in area districts, Robert Werden said.

“She’s just a top-notch educator,” Robert Werden said.

What do regional superintendents do, and why are they important?

Regional superintendents of schools are elected officials who lead their local regional offices of education. Together, they act as a liaison between the state board of education and local schools, Robert Werden explained.

In this way, regional offices of education enforce state school policy, not create the policies, Robert Werden said. For example, regional offices of education conduct annual health and life safety compliance visits in their local schools.

Regional offices of education also host professional development opportunities to help educators maintain their licenses and are involved in the process of changing school districts’ boundaries.

At the same time, these offices can act as a voice for local educators and help advocate for area schools, Robert Werden said.

Overall, he said regional superintendents of schools are critical to communities.

“Education is hugely important to our society,” Robert Werden said. “We have to make sure that taxpayers are getting a return on investment and make sure students can get the best that we can offer them, so they can continue the cycle.”

Who will be Madison County’s next regional superintendent of schools?

Robert Werden plans to retire in early summer, months before the next Madison County regional superintendent of schools will be elected and assume office.

The County Board can appoint an individual to serve in the interim between Robert Werden’s retirement and when the newly elected superintendent takes office. This could be the current assistant superintendent of schools, Tricia Blackard, or anyone else who meets the required qualifications, Robert Werden said.

Nancy Werden is running unopposed in both the March primary on the Republican ticket and in the November general election.

“The community and taxpayers have nothing to worry about with Nancy taking office — she’s highly qualified,” Robert Werden said. “And I will not be interfering (in regional office of education operations).”

Robert Werden said he is proud of what he and the Madison County Regional Office of Education accomplished during his tenure as its leader. Perhaps the biggest point of pride, Werden said, is how they navigated the uncertainty and unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Part of me is going to miss it, because I really love my job,” Robert Werden said.

As for what’s next, Robert Werden said he plans to follow what he calls the “3F retirement plan.” “Farming, fishing and family,” he said with a chuckle.

This story was originally published February 3, 2026 at 10:32 AM.