Six Candidates Will Be Interviewed For S/T Schools Superintendent Post

Six Candidates Will Be Interviewed For S/T Schools Superintendent Post
   The list of candidates for Snowflake School District superintendent has been pared to six, including two internal candidates, Snowflake High School Principal Larry Titus, and Director of Curriculum and Instruction and Assessment Dan Van Gesen.
   Two of the candidates, Hollis Merrell and Javier Abrego, have experience as superintendents in Arizona. Merrell has been the superintendent in Joseph City since 2005 and Dr. Abrego previously served as superintendent in Chinle for two years. The two out-of-state candidates are Morris Ververs, currently superintendent in the Calhan School District in Simla, Colo., and J Scot Trower, currently superintendent in the Lowrey School District in Owasso, Okla.
   The Snowflake School District Governing Board spent more than four hours Feb. 5 reviewing 18 applications submitted to the search consultant organization, the Arizona School Boards Association.
   “The board was very impressed with the quality of the applicants, and we are looking forward to seeing how each candidate will perform during interviews with the governing board on Feb. 20 and 21,” said Board President Travis Tenney. “The board will narrow the finalist list to two from four following interviews. On Monday, Feb. 23, the finalists will tour schools and meet throughout the day with students, staff and parent representatives. Community members will be able to see the finalists at a community forum from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 23 at Snowflake High School. This is such an important step in the district’s future, and we will review every evaluation sheet completed by participants.”
   The board is seeking a superintendent who will assist the district in continuing to improve student achievement, engage the community and parents in school activities, and meet the recent financial challenges. The new superintendent will replace Monte Silk, who is retiring after serving as interim superintendent for the past four years.
   “The thing that impressed me about the process to date is that the three new board members (John Stewart, Jonni Lewis and Ashley Davis) stepped right into the process like veterans,” said John Gordon, the ASBA consultant assisting in the search process.