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The Richland School District is closer to a new superintendent after the first round of candidate interviews Monday night.
Two of the three finalists -- James Busey, superintendent of the Lake Chelan School District, and Patricia O. Evenson-Brady, superintendent of Hood River County Schools -- were interviewed by the school board in separate one-hour sessions.
The third candidate, Selah Superintendent Steve Chestnut, will be interviewed today.
The position is up for grabs because Richland's current superintendent, Jean Lane, is retiring this summer.
After Chestnut's interview today, the board will decide which of the candidates will be invited back for a more in-depth interviews next week.
The new superintendent will be announced in March.
In their interviews, Busey and Evenson-Brady each talked about the importance of professional development for teachers and budgeting conservatively, especially in difficult economic times.
They come from different backgrounds.
Busey, who has been superintendent of the Chelan district since 2000, started out studying business in college before earning his teaching credentials. He went on to teach and coach in Zillah, eventually becoming a principal and then superintendent there. He served as Zillah's superintendent from 1991 to 2000.
He has a doctorate in education from California Coast University.
Busey described his leadership style as "straight-forward" and said, "I'm a strong candidate based on my success as a leader. I think I have the ability to see the big picture."
Evenson-Brady was a buyer and department manager for the Meier & Frank department store in Portland before getting into teaching.
She earned her teaching credentials and went on to work in alternative education and as a principal in several schools in Oregon and Alaska. She became superintendent of an Educational Service District in the Hood River area in 2000 and has served as superintendent of Hood River County Schools since 2003. She has a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Oregon.
"I believe in public education," she said. "I believe in the power of learning and the power of schools to change lives."
The interview sessions were open to the public, and about 30 people attended. Most of them were members of the advisory group of staff, students, parents and community members charged with helping in the hiring process. The advisory members provided the school board with feedback on the candidates after each session.
The Liberty Lake-based consulting firm Northwest Leadership Associates is coordinating the search for a new superintendent and helped run the interviews.
The firm was hired last August, a couple weeks after Lane announced her plans to retire. She served as an administrator in Richland for years and took over as superintendent in 2008.
The board chose one other candidate to come in for an interview. However, Charles Beck, assistant superintendent of the Bend/La Pine School District, withdrew his bid over the weekend because of concerns his wife wouldn't be able to find a job in her field the area.
Chestnut's interview is at 4:30 p.m. today at the district office, 615 Snow Ave.
-- Sara Schilling: 582-1402; sschilling@tricityherald.com
