Ever since she was a little girl, Dr. Danielle Tormala knew she wanted to work with kids. Growing up her family faced many hurdles, but one thing they always valued was education. 

Her mom was a very avid reader and would often read books to her. Thanks to the combined efforts of her family and some amazing teachers, Tormala was able to find her passion in helping young people. 

“They found in me the spark, they let me know what was possible and they were just strong encouragers,” Tormala said. 

Dr. Tormala has built an impressive career in public education and was recently announced as the next superintendent in the Wentzville School District, effective in July. 

Dr. Tormala will serve as the 19th superintendent of the Wentzville School District for the 2022-2023 school year following the departure of Dr. Curtis Cain, who took the superintendent position at the Rockwood School District. Dr. Tormala will also be the first female superintendent the WSD has ever had. She visited Liberty on April 7.

“I am very honored. This is a great place to learn and to be a part of the community,” Tormala said.

Dr. Tormala currently serves as the associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction at the City of St. Charles School District, where she has worked since 2006 and has served as second-in-command since 2008.

She has also held various administrative roles including the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at the City of St. Charles Schools, the assessment specialist at Francis Howell School District, and also served as the early childhood director at the City of St. Charles Schools for eight years in addition to her associate superintendent duties. She has also taught as an adjunct professor at Maryville University and Lindenwood University and was an elementary teacher at the Hazelwood School District.

“Dr. Tormala brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our District,” said Betsy Bates, WSD Board of Education president. “She has a proven history of driving student achievement in her current role, and we look forward to seeing her grow that vision on a larger scale.”

After she graduated high school, Dr. Tormala was the first of her family to attend college at Birmingham-Southern College where she was studying pre-med. It was there that she made the conscious decision that she wanted to be a teacher. So after moving home, she transferred to Saint Louis University where she got a teaching degree. 

“I knew wholeheartedly that I wanted to work with kids. It was the question of how I can make the biggest impact,” Tormala stated, when asked what changed her mind.

She later attended Maryville University and received a master’s in educational leadership and principal certification. A few years later she went back to school to get a doctorate in education administration from UMSL.

Dr. Tormala is married to Nathan Tormala who works for St. Charles County government. They have two elementary-aged daughters.

As a mother and as a woman, Dr. Tormala strives to teach her girls that nothing is out of reach and that if they put their minds to it, they can always achieve greatness. 

“I feel that it is always important for us to be able to see ourselves to know that we can dream it and we can be it,” Tormala explains.