By Shawn White
On Saturday, the Winslow Unified School District (WUSD) hosted a community meet-and-greet featuring the final four candidates in its search for a new superintendent. Originally, five candidates had advanced to this stage; however, one contender, Colleen Timm, withdrew at the last minute. The remaining finalists included two external candidates, Victoria Corlett and Greg Fowler, both of whom brought experience in education and service to tribal communities. They were joined by two internal candidates: current Superintendent Connie Gover and Jefferson Elementary School Principal Amber Martinez. Each candidate was allotted three minutes to address the audience before meeting informally with attendees. Discussion topics ranged from curbing chronic absenteeism to maintaining and building upon WUSD’s progress in recent years which saw the district move from a C rating to a B rating. Parents, students and community members were encouraged to complete feedback forms, providing their impressions of each candidate for the governing board’s consideration. A few hours after the event concluded, WUSD announced the selection of Martinez to lead the district through the next phase of their journey. Martinez is about to finish her doctorate in Educational Leadership this spring from Northern Arizona University, the university from which she received her undergrad and graduate degrees. During the meet and greet Martinez was asked what her first move as superintendent would be and she replied saying she would like to sit down with the parents who choose to send their students to nearby districts like Joesph City and figuring out a way to fill those students’ needs closer to home. Martinez, who has two children enrolled in WUSD schools, will begin her new role this summer. Gover will end her tenure with the district soon after 40 years in education with almost all of them at WUSD. Although she originally intended to retire, Dr. Gover opted to re-enter the applicant pool just before the December deadline, feeling she still had more to offer. With the board’s decision, Gover will conclude her four-decade-long dedication to the students of Winslow, leaving the leadership of WUSD in Martinez’s hands.
