Soap Lake school board selects superintendent candidates

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake school board members are selecting a new district superintendent on March 8.

Four people are being interviewed for the position. They are Martin Brewer, Dan McDonald, Jeff Pietila and Denise Mehal.

Brewer is a principal from Lewis and Clark Elementary School in Richland, McDonald is a superintendent for Touchet School District in Touchet, Pietila is a principal at Wahluke school in Mattawa and Mehal is the current Soap Lake School District interim superintendent.

The community is involved with the decision-making process and able to interview each candidate along with staff and board members on March 8.

“The goal has been to include the community to get their input, even though it’s ultimately the board’s decision,” said Newton Moats, board president. “It’s good to involve the community because the parents are involved in the school with their kids and it is good for us to hear their ideas for leadership in our district.”

The consulting firm hired for the Soap Lake School District superintendent search, Spokane-based Education Consultants, held meetings to gather input from the community the past few months. The firm took down ideas on desired leadership style and characteristics from attendees.

Qualifications included good communication skills, someone demonstrating good judgment, involvement in school and community activities, someone sincere and genuine and someone able to fit in with a small community environment. Professional characteristics desired included having a good leadership style, someone visibly on campus and in the community, having good problem-solving skills, someone understanding the diversity of the Soap Lake area and someone able to work well with board, administration and staff.

“The board really wants to ensure we have someone, who could at the beginning or over time, help with grant funding,” Moats said.

Board members are going to post schedules of the interview process before March 8.

“Our consulting firm is helping us design the schedule beforehand,” Moats said. “We intend on having the schedule be something like board and administration interviews in the day. Class, certified staff and community members are interviewing later in the day until the evening.”

The superintendent position is full-time. The selected person starts in the position July 1.

“We are excited about the opportunity for the district to grow with new leadership,” Moats said. “This is a great time for us to get a new person in there.”

Originally published March 2, 2010