MENTOR, Ohio — Mentor Public Schools is about to have a new superintendent.
The board of education on Tuesday selected Craig Heath to lead the district following a two-month search. Heath will officially take office on Aug. 1, when current Superintendent Bill Porter steps down to become principal of Sterling Morton Elementary School.
Heath released the following statement after the hiring was announced:
"I am very excited to have the opportunity to serve as the superintendent of Mentor Public Schools. The high expectations that are an obvious part of the Mentor community mirror my own values, and I cannot wait to get to work in this high-caliber, innovative school district. I look forward to connecting with the community – and our students and staff – as we work together to ensure Mentor Schools continues to be a place for every child to learn and grow."
A graduate of Perry High School in Lake County as well as Kent State and Ohio State, Heath has spent his entire academic career in Ohio, most recently as the current assistant superintendent in Delaware. He was also previously a Spanish teacher at Lake Catholic High School in Mentor.
School Board President Mary Bryner said:
"The Board greatly appreciates the input provided by our stakeholders during the superintendent search process, and we are confident we found the very best candidate for the job. It is clear, Mr. Heath has a passion for public education and has demonstrated extremely strong leadership skills throughout his career. A philosophy that 'every child has their own unique gifts and talents and the mission of any school district should be to identify and develop those talents through world-class instruction, authentic learning experiences and innovative programming that meets the interests of each student' drives his decision-making, and the board believes this is a perfect fit for leading our team of very dynamic educators."
Heath beat out two other finalists for the job: current Chardon Superintendent Dr. Michael Hanlon and Crestwood Superintendent Dr. Dave Toth.
