MADRAS, OR --  Jefferson County 509-J Schools Superintendent Rick Molitor will retire in June and the school board is asking for volunteers to help select the district’s next leader. Board member Courtney Snead says they’ve already identified what kind of person will next lead the district. "Someone with vision and leadership toward our mission, which is really to celebrate the diversity and the differences that we have in our very unique district. And then, also looking for someone who understands how to work with different and multiple perspectives and how to bring those together to create a really exciting and positive environment for our learners."

The board is hoping 10 residents will join them in determining the best candidates from among the Superintendent applicants. "We’re really looking for community engagement and involvement and for the community to shape the type of Superintendent we’re looking for. And, when I say ‘community,’ I mean the community at large - parents, teachers, our staff – to all be involved in that process of defining what the qualifications and the skills are that we’re looking for in that person." Snead adds, "As one board member, I’m really looking to ensure that we’ve got really good representation, not only from all of our different constituency groups impacted by the Superintendent position, but also ensuring that we have demographic representation from our Latino community, our native community, and then also gender and age; all of those things. I’m trying to make sure that we have a really good cross-section of our community as a part of that selection group."