Wilson Creek welcomes new superintendent

WILSON CREEK —  Brad Smedley wanted to work for Wilson Creek schools since he visited last year.

“I walked through the hall and saw a senior in high school helping a kindergarten child,” Smedley said. “I could tell it was a tight-knit family environment where people genuinely cared for and helped each other.”

Smedley was hired as superintendent for the Wilson Creek School District and begin work July 1. The position opened this spring after former superintendent Linda McKay was hired as elementary executive director by the Moses Lake School District.

 “As we interviewed, it became more and more clear that Brad would be the perfect fit for us,” said school board chair Paul Friend. “He had all the qualities we were looking for.”

The board narrowed applicants down to two and had them go through a rigorous interview process.

“I interviewed on a Monday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.,” Smedley said. “It was tiring but it made me see very quickly that this was the right fit for me.”

 Smedley was ecstatic when he got the acceptance call, he said.

“I was so happy to get the nod yes because when I’d left the meeting, I already felt like a member of the community,” Smedley said. “Wilson Creek has an outstanding reputation of having high academics and great community support.”

Search consultant for the district Gene Sharratt said Smedley was the perfect fit.

“He loves the Wilson Creek community and it fits his personality very well,” Sharratt said. “He is very focused on student learning and believes all kids can learn.”

Smedley was born and raised in Tacoma, where he taught for eight years. He moved to Moses Lake in 1999 and was principal at Garden Heights Elementary for 7 years before moving to Ephrata. He served as principal at Columbia Ridge for the past three years.

“Brad has some great principal experience and seems genuinely excited about educating kids,” Friend said. “He is just a very friendly and honest person.”

Smedley enjoys interacting with kids the most, he said.

“Kids are like sponges when they come to us and it is the district’s responsibility to ensure they are getting the best information to absorb,” Smedley remarked. “Being able to empower other adults to help them learn is exciting.”

Smedley has several goals in place for his time as superintendent.

“I want to keep this quality program going, become a part of this community and stay a long time,” he said. “This is a rare profession where I can honestly say I love coming to work every day.”

Friend said Smedley is already making great progress.

“It hasn’t been that long, but I think he is already doing a fantastic job,” Friend said. “We are definitely on the same page.”

Smedley is here for the long haul.

“I know this sounds funny but I would like to end my career here,” he said. “This place is just top-notch.”