Miami Trace's Lewis will be next Newark superintendent

NEWARK - David L. Lewis, superintendent at Miami Trace Local Schools in Fayette County for the past seven years, will be the next superintendent of Newark City Schools.

In a press release, the Newark Board of Education announced that it will approve a contract for Lewis at its regular meeting on June 8. He will replace Doug Ute, superintendent for the past 12 years, who will leave Dec. 31 to become deputy director of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA).

“The board was impressed with Mr. Lewis’ focus on students, his demonstrated evidence of collaboration with both staff and other stakeholders, his history of community involvement, his vision for the Newark City Schools, and his energy,” Newark board president Timothy Carr said.

Carr added that Lewis will become an integral part of the Newark community, since one of the board’s requirements was that the new superintendent become embedded in the district, and he added that Lewis is looking forward to that opportunity.

Lewis has been superintendent at Miami Trace, located in Washington Court House, since 2013. He had previously served as assistant principal and principal at St. Marys Memorial High School. A 1990 graduate of Delaware Hayes High School, Lewis also taught at his alma mater and Marysville Middle School. He has a bachelor's degree from Ohio Dominican University and a master's degree from Ashland University, receiving his superintendent's license from Bowling Green State University.

During his tenure at Miami Trace, the district has earned an overall grade of B on the state’s district report card, successfully passed a bond issue to construct a new high school, initiated a marketing plan that has raised about $750,000 for facility improvements, and established a new learning center serving the district as an alternative school and behavior unit for students in kindergarten through grade 12.

He has twice served as a head baseball coach, at Grandview Heights and Delaware Hayes, and also spent time as an assistant baseball and football coach. He and his wife, Karen, have a son Brett and daughter Alaina.

The Newark school board had undertaken an extensive search and review of potential candidates since early March, and the process included the development of a superintendent search profile outlining characteristics and skills sought for the next superintendent, followed by interviews and background checks on all candidates. The process culminated last Tuesday with final interviews, and meetings of community and staff members with the finalists for the position.

The other finalists included Maura Horgan, director of curriculum and staff development for Newark City Schools; Craig Hockenberry, superintendent of Three Rivers Local Schools in Hamilton County, and Dr. Brad Ritchey, superintendent of Milton-Union Local Schools in Miami County.

“The board was really impressed with the credentials of all of the applicants, and especially those of the finalists,” Carr said. “Any of them could be an outstanding superintendent in any district. However, we just felt that Mr. Lewis was the best candidate for Newark.”

The board was assisted in its search by the Licking County Educational Service Center and by K-12 Business Consulting.

dweidig@newarkadvocate.com

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