FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information: Contact: Timothy Mitchell, Superintendent at 712-484-2212 or tmitchell@riverside.k12.ia.us
Hashtag: #WeRRiverside
Facebook: Riverside Community School District
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Riverside Selects New Superintendent
Riverside Community School District has selected Dr. Stephanie Anderson, Director of Elementary Education and Student Services, Fort Dodge Community to assume the position of Riverside Community School District Superintendent position starting on July 1, 2023. Current Riverside Superintendent, Dr. Timothy Mitchell, announced his retirement in January and will be leaving the District at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
Dr. Anderson is excited about this new opportunity and shared “I am honored and excited to have been chosen to be the next leader of the Riverside Community School District. The community cohesiveness, academic and extracurricular celebrations, and amazing people were the highlights from my research and interview experience. I look forward to continuing the great work you are already engaging in as a community and school district.”
Here is the process that the Board of Education followed in their selection:
1. On February 2, 2023, the board initiated the search process by selecting GR Recruiting, to assist them in the search for a new superintendent.
2. The board then established a timeline and a process, determined a recruitment strategy, and designed a promotional flyer.
3. In order to determine the profile of qualities and qualifications desired in a new superintendent, the board invited constituents to complete an on-line survey. Based on that input, 10 qualities and qualifications most desired in a new superintendent were finalized by the board.
4. Sixteen completed applications were received by the March 17, 2023 deadline established by the board.
5. The board spent significant time reviewing and discussing the 10 individuals that best matched the qualities and qualifications previously determined.
6. The board then selected six semi-finalists for a closed session Zoom interview with the board.
7. After careful consideration the board selected two finalists who were invited for a second interview with the board. The two finalists were:
a. Dr. Casey Moran, Assistant Director of Special Education for the Council Bluffs Community School District
b. Dr. Stephanie Anderson, Director of Elementary Education and Student Services, Fort Dodge Community School District
8. Finalists also interviewed with three constituent groups which included parents, community members, teachers, support staff, administrators, and students.
9. The board will meet an offer a contract at an upcoming meeting on Monday April 17, 2023 at 6:30 PM
Dr. Stephanie Anderson
Dr. Stephanie Anderson brings a variety of educational experiences to the superintendent position. She grew up on a farm outside of Newell, Iowa, graduating from Newell-Fonda High School and earning her BA from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. She started her teaching career as an elementary classroom teacher in Vermillion, South Dakota and then in Storm Lake, Iowa while earning her MA from the University of South Dakota. She attended the Iowa Principal Leadership Academy to earn her administrative endorsement, which led to her serving as the assistant elementary principal and early childhood principal in Spencer, Iowa. She then served as the head elementary principal in Fort Dodge, Iowa while earning her PhD from the University of Kentucky. Most recently she has held the position of director of elementary education and student services in Fort Dodge, Iowa while earning her superintendent certification from the University of Northern Iowa. These educational experiences have grounded her in her educational beliefs of being strengths-based, making decisions that keep students at the center, and the importance of building collaborative relationships within the school community and beyond, while leading with integrity every step of the way. She is excited about what the Riverside School District and communities have to offer, and she looks forward to the opportunity to serve the district and communities. Her husband, Chris, is a computer science teacher at the Fort Dodge Middle School; their daughter, McKaelyn, is a junior at Iowa State University majoring in special education; and their son, Carter, is a junior at Fort Dodge Senior High attending the ICCC Triton Academy simultaneously