The Garfield Re-2 Board of Education selected three administrators, two from Colorado and one from Green Bay, Wisconsin, as the district’s finalists for the superintendent position Tuesday.
The three — Thomas Heald, Matthew Spets and Wendy Wyman — all currently work outside the district. The candidates were selected from a list of 16 applicants, with the announcement coming after an executive session Tuesday evening.
“There were many excellent, qualified candidates. It made the selection process very difficult, but (the Colorado Association of School Boards) led us through an excellent process, and as a board, we came to consensus around our finalists. We are very fortunate to have three exceptional candidates to consider for superintendent,” School Board President Anne Guettler said. “We have many great things going on in Garfield Re-2, and admittedly, some specific needs that we are searching for in the next leader of the district. We are definitely looking for the best fit.”
Heald is currently the interim superintendent for the Aspen School District. He has held a variety of roles in the valley including instructor and then principal of Yampah Mountain High School, Aspen Middle School principal, and curriculum and instruction director and assistant superintendent for the Aspen School District.
Spets is currently the assistant superintendent of operations with the Howard-Suamico School District in Green Bay. He has served as an English language arts teacher at the middle and high school level, elementary principal and superintendent before accepting his current role five years ago.
Wyman is currently the superintendent of Lake County Public Schools, where she has served since 2012. She has been an elementary school teacher and principal and has held positions at the Colorado Department of Education and in Colorado higher education systems as well.
The superintendent finalists will spend part of March 18 touring the school district, with a community meet and greet at the district office, located at 839 Whiteriver Ave. in Rifle, from 6–7 p.m.
A committee consisting of the board, district administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, students and community members will conduct interviews on March 19 at Grand River Health. The board intends to name a final candidate by the end of the day on March 20.
Former Garfield Re-2 Superintendent Brent Curtice had planned to retire at the end of the 2019-20 school year, but was terminated by the Garfield Re-2 School Board in February for no cause. Assistant Superintendent Heather Grumley was appointed interim superintendent.