The search for a new superintendent came to an end Tuesday night as the Barrow County Board of Education unanimously tapped Wanda Creel to direct the system.
Creel, an associate superintendent from the Houston County School District, will replace long-time superintendent Ron Saunders, who has announced his retirement. Saunders has agreed to stay with the system through the end of the school year to assist with the transition.
With her selection, Creel becomes the first female superintendent for Barrow County.
“It was a long process,” said BOE chairman Mark Still. “We were able to take the number of candidates down to four. All were very strong. Over the next few weeks we will start with the transition.”
The other finalists for the position were Eli Welch, principal of Westside Middle School; Thomas Van Soelen, assistant superintendent for instruction for Decatur City Schools and Marcia Clanton, an administrator for the Chatham County School System.
Creel has been offered a three-year contract with a base salary of $150,000. She is scheduled to begin work in Barrow April 1. Creel has worked the past two years as an associate superintendent for learning in the Houston County School System.
Prior to her work in Houston County, Creel worked as associated state superintendent for the Georgia Department of Education. She has a master’s and doctorate in educational leadership.
See the Feb. 24 edition of the Barrow Journal for more details regarding Creel's qualifications and her vision for Barrow County Schools.