RSD17 Superintendent Search Down To Two Candidates, Interim Named

The search for a new superintendent in Regional School District 17 is down to two candidates, according to board chair Amy Jacques-Purdy, who said the search will continue Tuesday night with planned interviews of each candidate.

"We are very pleased with the candidate pool provided to us by Goens/Esparo [consulting firm]. We are interviewing two finalists and if all goes well, we will choose one soon," Jacques-Purdy said.

In December, current superintendent Gary Mala announced his resignation, effective in March. Prior to the announcement, Mala had been named superintendent of schools in Avon.

The names of the superintendent candidates were not available, but Jacques-Purdy said the district began the process with eight candidates in all.

“We had a marathon session,” Jacques-Purdy explained during Monday’s board meeting. “We had a number of great, qualified candidates.”

On Monday night, the Board of Education appointed Dr. John Sullivan as acting superintendent of schools, starting in March.

Sullivan will serve as interim superintendent as work on the school budget progresses.

According to a release sent to staff, Sullivan has "served as a high school principal in both Nantucket, Mass., and Wilton, Conn.  He went on to serve as superintendent of schools in Westbrook, Conn., and later retired as superintendent of schools for Unified School District II. In retirement, Dr. Sullivan has served as interim principal at East Lyme High School for two years."

With undergraduate and graduate degrees from Southern Connecticut State University, Sullivan has received a six-year diploma in educational administration from the University of Connecticut and a doctorate in education from the University of Bridgeport.