West End board to interview for head of school district

Kati O’Hare

Daily Press Writer

NATURITA — The West End public school board will begin interviewing six applicants to fill Superintendent Duane Denny’s position after he retires in June.

The board announced at a Dec. 12 meeting that applicants for the position were narrowed down from 11 to six candidates. Interviews are scheduled to begin on Jan. 9 and are open to the public.

“It is our hope to have a new superintendent in place by the end of January,” Denny said.

On Jan. 9, two applicants will spend the day meeting with school’s staff and principals, touring around the community, and interviewing with the board, he said. The day after the interviews, the two candidates will have breakfast and lunch with school staff, principals, board members and Parent Advisory Committee members.

The school board interviews at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. are open to the public. The same agenda will continue with the other applicants on Jan. 10 and Jan. 17, with two interviews each day.

  • The two candidates to be interviewed Jan. 9 are: Leo Philbin from Albion, Ind. and Michael Roggero from Fowler, Colo.

    Philbin has a master’s degree from Indiana University and a doctorate’s from Purdue University, with a specialization in educational administration. He has worked within school districts since 1976, as superintendent, assistant superintendent and assistant principal, as well as being a teacher and coach.

    Roggero has a master’s degree from the University of Arizona in counseling, guidance and special education. In 2005, he was director of Rocky Mountain International Academy, and has also served as an administrative assistant. He was also a high school principal and counselor in Ridgway from 2002 to 2004.

  • Jan. 10 interviews will include: Chris Whetzel from Trinidad, Colo. and Robert Rime from Cortez.

    Whetzel has a master’s from Portland State University and is currently serving as a K-12 principal in Hoehne, Colo.

    Rime has a master’s in computer education and is currently high school principal in Shiprock, N.M. He has served as junior high principal for three years, and a superintendent at two different school districts totaling 10 years of experience.

  • Interviewing Jan. 17 is Gordon Shepherd from Nucla, and Donn Livoni from Hamilton, Mont.

    Shepherd is currently the high school principal at Nucla. He has a master’s degree from Western Oregon State College. He was a social studies teacher from 1977 until he became assistant principal at Cortez Middle School in 2004 until 2006.

    Livoni has a master’s in educational administration and higher education from the University of Nevada and is currently doing advance degree work at the University of Oregon. He has held administrative positions since 1990, serving as superintendent in Nevada, Montana and Washington school districts, along with being a high school principal and assistant superintendent.

    Denny said a board member plans to visit the hometowns of the top three candidates before the board makes a decision, adding a special meeting will have to be planned if this is to be done by the end of the month.

    Denny has been superintendent for the West End school district for five years, but has spent 36 years in education. He said he hopes the new superintendent will come to the district with a firm grasp of finance and curriculum, “and a sense of humor.”

    The district has been dealing with a shortage of coaches, and Denny said, it is something the new superintendent will have to handle. He said he also hopes the new hire will continue to use The Northwest Evaluation Association assessment data to improve teaching, classroom learning and CSAP scores.

    Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com

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