Athletic Secretary Shari Rottinghaus to Retire

It’s a sunny Thursday afternoon nearing the end of the school day. Alone in her office cubicle, Ms. Rottinghaus intently types away at her computer in a bright blue shirt and black coat, a golden cross necklace around her neck.

Rottinghaus said she spent three years at MCHS during her high school years, attending North Iowa Area Community College for two years, and another two years at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Her first job was helping her dad on the farm, starting her first career as a medical secretary.

Rottinghaus said she always has been involved with sports throughout her high school years, developing a sincere passion for them.

“I was an athlete in high school and college and a coach after college, so I have always been involved in sports and love being a part of them,” Shari Rottinghaus said.

Rottinghaus’s first job at MCHS was as a substitute, a coach, and then a wellness coordinator with the school district.

“I was a substitute teacher for a year, the District Wellness Coordinator for two years, Head Volleyball Coach for three years, Track Meet Manager for about 18 years, and Assistant Freshman Volleyball Coach for five years,” Rottinghaus said.

Rottinghaus said she was inspired by Athletic Director Dan Delaney when he reached out to her for a job as a secretary.

“After stepping down as the head volleyball coach at MCHS, I planned to apply for medical secretary jobs but Dan Delaney (former AD at MCHS) contacted me when his secretary left and asked me to be his secretary,” Rottinghaus said. “The rest is history.”

Rottinghaus, who works as a secretary for Activities Director Matthew Berkley, said she will miss working with people at MCHS but knew retirement was in her path.

“It was a very hard decision,” Rottinghaus said. “I love my job, working for Mr. Berkley, and the MCHS coaches but I knew that I had to retire sometime. I will definitely miss the people I work with and the day-to-day things in the office.”

Berkley said he had met Rottinghaus as a young coach when leading the MCHS freshmen football team during the early 2000s, working with her for over 20 years in the district.

“Ms. Rottinghaus was the one that you had to go through in order to know who was registered correctly and able to participate in practice and games,” Berkley said. “She also was the one where transportation changes needed to be cleared through and pretty much the one that could answer any question you might have around our athletic department.”

Staff are commemorating Rottinghaus as she says farewell to her MCHS career.

“Shari makes everyone around her better,” Shannon Dykstra, an athletic coach at MCHS said. “She really cares about giving coaches and athletes the best experience possible.”

“The thing that everyone will miss about Ms. Rottinghaus is her friendly greeting when you visit the activities office, along with her vast knowledge of the activities department,” Berkley said. “She just knows everything that has to be done and is able to answer questions that I have, being pretty new to the position.”

After retiring, Rottinghaus plans to spend more time with her family and volunteer at her church.

“My son JT, coaches, and I want to be able to support him and his teams, spend time with my daughter Ashley in Bettendorf, play pickleball with my daughter Sydney and husband, and maybe travel a little bit,” Rottinghaus said.