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ELKINS -- The Randolph County Board of Education selected Dr. Shawn Dilly as the county's next Superintendent of Schools during a special meeting Tuesday night at the BOE's Central Office.
Dilly will replace sitting superintendent Debra Schmidlen, whose request for retirement was approved by the Randolph County BOE in early February. Her last day on the job will be June 30.
"Shawn's interview was really fantastic," Randolph BOE President Amanda Smith told The Inter-Mountain. "He was very well-prepared and has a plan for the county going forward. He has a vast amount of experience, not only in county schools, but in state policy and around the world. What he brings back home to Randolph County is pretty tremendous."
Dilly's salary will be $120,000 per year, with an incremental increase of $5,000 over the next four years.
Dilly, a Tucker County native and former Randolph County school system teacher, currently serves as the Director General of Emirates National Schools in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He has previously served as Superintendent of Schools in Mineral County, Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Braxton County, and Deputy Superintendent of Schools for Jefferson County.
"I'm excited to be able to return to what I call my home, and to be able to contribute to improving the school system and enhancing the community," Dilly told The Inter-Mountain during a phone call interview Wednesday. He was still in Elkins at the time of the call but was about to take a 13-hour plane trip back to Abu Dhabi.
"I've been a resident for nearly 30 years and my kids were raised here and went to school in Elkins," he said. "It's a great opportunity for me to finally get a chance to bring my different experiences to the table that will hopefully benefit the county."
Dilly, who grew up in Tucker County, has maintained a home in Elkins for more than 20 years. His 15-year career in West Virginia's public school system began in 1998, when he was hired as a half-time arts teacher at Elkins High School.
After leaving EHS, which all three of his children graduated from, Dilly served as a teacher, assistant principal and then principal at Tucker County High School.
Dilly also had a stint as administrative director of the South Branch Career and Technical Center in Petersburg.
"I've worked outside the system in other districts and other places, but I always considered Elkins home," Dilly said. "It's nice to get the chance to finally come back and contribute where I think I can take those valuable experiences I've had and help enrich the county."
Dilly has been in his current position in Abu Dhabi for the past three years.
"I think a lot of my experiences will be very valuable in working through the various challenges in the school system," Dilly said. "Obviously the biggest challenge is dealing with the declining enrollment in Randolph County and addressing the financial implications that come with that and how we deliver services and continue to deliver services in a high quality way.
"There's a lot of work ahead of me, but that's OK. I know there are some really good people in Randolph County Schools and I look forward to working with them closely to try to do the best we can to move the system forward and help our community be a better place for the future of our young people."
Because he is working out of the country, Dilly is unsure how soon he will be able to return to Randolph County and begin working alongside Schmidlen in preparation to take over as superintendent.
"I want to make sure (Emirates National Schools) are taken care of before I leave," Dilly said. "It's important to get (Schmidlen's) insight on some of the things and challenges within the district. So it will be important that we do have some conversations before her departure."
Three candidates were interviewed for the superintendent position during Tuesday's meeting.
Board members Amanda Smith, Janie Newlon, Rachel Anger and Philip Chua took part in the interviews, while board member Sherri Collett recused herself from the process due to her husband Russ Collett, who is assistant superintendent in Upshur County, being one of the candidates.
Dr. Derek Lambert was the third candidate interviewed. He currently works for the West Virginia Department of Education.
Smith said all three of the candidates who interviewed for the position had the potential to be a good superintendent in Randolph County. In the end it was Dilly's interview that set him above the rest, she said.
"They were all excellent applicants and I was not disappointed with the quality of candidates that wanted to potentially lead our county," she said. "Their resumes were extensive and their backgrounds were phenomenal. It really did depend on the interview and what they brought to the interview."
Also taking part in the interviews were two county school system office directors, a representative from the teacher's union, two service personnel union members, one county elementary school principal, one county secondary principal, and the county's finance officer.