By Brenda Sexton-The Courier-Herald
The Enumclaw School Board will bring three candidates back for more interviews and to meet the community and staff today, Wednesday, and Thursday as it continues to narrow the search for a superintendent.
Hertica Martin, Michael Green and Mike Nelson were invited back by the board after two days of interviews before themselves and an advisory panel Jan. 30 and 31.
“We had good candidates,” board member Chris VanHoof said. “It went great with the committee. I was glad they were there. Their feedback was helpful. We've got good people out of the pool.”
The first candidate, Green, arrived in town Tuesday, too late for notice here, but Martin and Nelson will be available today, Wednesday, and Thursday, respectively. Each will spend the day in the district. Two specific meetings are designated for candidates to meet staff and community members. Each candidate will meet with staff between 4 and 5 p.m. and with community members between 5:30 and 7 p.m. Both meetings will be in the Enumclaw High library.
Green is currently superintendent for the Nine Mile Falls School District, outside of Spokane, a position he has been at since 2001. He earned a business administration and elementary education degree from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, a master's degree in educational administration from Western Washington University in Bellingham and his superintendent certification from Seattle Pacific University.
According to information on the Nine Miles Falls School District Web site, the district has grown from 60 students in 1960 to more than 1,700 with two elementary schools, a middle school and high school. Nine Mile Falls is considered a “bedroom community.” The area shares similarities with Enumclaw in that small businesses, farms and forests add to its diversity. The school district is the largest employer, and also meets many of the community's recreational needs through extra curricular programs.
While leading Nine Mile Falls, Green helped develop facilities improvement plans to deal with aging systems and a growing student population. He also coordinated three successful maintenance and operation levies campaigns, each garnering more than 68 percent approval.
Prior to his position at Nine Mile Falls, he was the assistant superintendent for the Riverview School District in Carnation, Wash.; a superintendent intern with the Edmonds School District in Lynnwood; principal at Martha Lake Elementary in Lynnwood; principal at Mattawa Elementary; and teacher and principal at Ivan of Bay School in Alaska. His teaching career began as a long-term substitute at East Omak Elementary in Omak, Wash.
Martin is currently executive director for teaching and learning for the Central Kitsap School District, a position she has been at since 2004.
The Central Kitsap School District is based in Silverdale, Wash., and serves approximately about 12,600 students. Twenty-six percent of the district's students are military family dependents and 50 percent are children of families economically dependent on the Navy.
The district has two high schools (grades 10 through 12), one secondary school (grades 7 to 12), three junior high schools (grades 7 to 9), three alternative schools, 14 elementary schools and a home-school support program.
She earned her doctorate from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, Calif., and her master's degree in education from Seattle University. She earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of the Virgin Islands. She received her superintendent credentials from Seattle Pacific University.
Between 2000 and 2004, Martin served as the director of professional and organizational development for Tacoma Public Schools, and before that was Tacoma's director of curriculum development and implementation. At the school level, she was principal at Meadows Elementary School in North Thurston Public Schools in Lacey, Wash.; associate principal at Lacey's Evergreen Forest Elementary School; an elementary special education teacher at Tacoma's Sherman and Boze elementary schools and an elementary school instructional teacher at St. Dunstan's Episcopal School in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
She is a member of several national, regional and local professional affiliations. She has also earned numerous awards and recognition including the Washington Alliance of Black School Educators' Exemplary Leadership Award (1998) and the Milken Family Education Foundation National Educator Award (1996).
Nelson currently is serving as the Enumclaw School District's interim superintendent. He was appointed to this position in January after Superintendent Art Jarvis tendered his resignation. Before taking over the district's leadership position, Nelson served as assistant superintendent, a position he had been at since 1999.
Prior to arriving in Enumclaw, Nelson was the director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for Federal Way Public Schools. He has also been principal at Camelot Elementary School in Federal Way and an assistant principal at Bonney Lake Elementary. He also serves as adjunct professor for Seattle Pacific University, Central Washington University and Whitworth College. He began his career as a teacher in the Orting School District.
Nelson, an Enumclaw native, earned his superintendent certification from Seattle Pacific University. He earned both his master's degree in educational administration and his bachelor of arts in education from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma.
He was the primary author of a $2.2 million district grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and while principal at Camelot Elementary the school earned a National Blue Ribbon Award for School Excellence.
