The Dieringer School Board Monday night selected Nate Salisbury of Kalama, Wash. as the next principal of North Tapps Middle School.

Salisbury will take over for Pat Keaton, who is retiring after a 30-year career in education, including the past 12 as principal of North Tapps.

Dieringer Superintendent Judy Neumeier-Martinson said Salisbury’s experience as an assistant principal at a middle/high school in a small town gave him the combination of skills for which the Board of Directors was looking.

“They really felt Nate would be a good fit and match for the Dieringer School District,” she said Tuesday.

Salisbury, 39, grew up in Kalama, near Vancouver. He did his undergraduate work at Washington State University and did his administrative work at WSU-Vancouver.

For the past three years he has served as an assistant principal where he said his duties focused primarily on the middle school. Prior to serving as an administrator, Salisbury taught English and history in the district for 12 years.

Salisbury said Tuesday he has a “passion” for the middle school age level.

“Because I’m in a middle/high school combined, I’m well aware of what the kids need to be prepared for the next level,” he said.

Salisbury said he and his wife visited the area several times after he heard of the position at North Tapps and “just fell in love with the place.”

“What an amazing place,” he said of the Dieringer School District, adding that he was “overwhelmed” by the people.

Neumeier-Martinson said because of the district’s size, each principal is a “critical position” in the district so it was important to find someone who understood that unlike larger districts, administrators in Dieringer have to wear multiple hats and cannot rely on staff.

Neumeier-Martinson praised the board and the committee that helped select the three finalists, as well as the parents and staff that attended the forums and provided input on the candidates.

Salisbury officially starts July 1, but Neumeier-Martinson said he would be around throughout the spring to begin planning and get familiar with the community, as well as give parents a chance to meet him.

Salisbury said he was excited to get started and said his first priority was to establish relationships with staff and parents.

“Then we’ll be able to get some great work done,” he said.

He said his personal philosophy was from a quote he kept hanging in his office: “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

“I just hope I can contribute,” he said.