PICKERINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) — After a months-long search, Pickerington Local Schools has named a new superintendent.
The district announced Saturday that Dr. Charles Smialek will lead Pickerington Schools next year and he was officially welcomed to the community during a school board meeting Monday night.
Smialek comes to Pickerington after serving as the superintendent of Parma City Schools in northeast Ohio for the past seven years.
The Pickerington Board of Education finalized and voted on his new contract during Monday’s meeting.
Smialek said he got the call early on Saturday morning after his final round of interviews took place on Thursday and Friday.
“You always wonder what the phone at 1:15 in the morning might sound like, but this was exactly the phone call I was hoping for,” Smialek said.
Pickerington board president Clay Lopez said Smialek was the obvious choice for the district.
“He’s full of energy which we think we need and a unifying voice,” Lopez said.
The district worked with K-12 Consulting to fill the superintendent position and Lopez said he is pleased with the process and with the candidate who came out on top.
“He’s already got some dates scheduled to come down and introduce himself to the community,” Lopez said. “I think he’s very anxious to get down here and start the work.”
Smialek said he will live in Pickerington so he can be as connected to the community as possible.
“Everywhere I can be to meet as many people so that I can get a feel for what makes Pickerington great and how can we make it even better?” Smialek said. “That’s my commitment and I can’t wait to begin.”
He said he is excited about the growth Pickerington is experiencing and he said it is clear the community really supports the school district. Smialek said he believes he is the right choice for this job as this will be his third time serving as superintendent of an Ohio school district.
“I think that I can really bring some energy and some commitment to being as many places as I possibly can,” Smialek said. “I really commit to visibility and transparency.”
His tenure as Pickerington superintendent will officially begin on Aug 1.