Superintendent John Gaiptman has “moved mountains” with the New Westminster school district, says board chair Jonina Campbell, but the search is now officially on for his replacement.
The board announced last week it has started planning for Gaiptman’s succession by hiring executive search firm Boyden to help the district find its new CEO.
Gaiptman, a retired Victoria superintendent, came to New West in February 2014 as a temporary fill-in after the departure of John Woudzia.
In April 2014, he was asked to stay on for at least six months more while the district got its finances in order.
He has since been credited with doing that and more.
“We have achieved financial stability, developed a plan to retire the debt, built a new elementary school and are working towards the completion of our middle school model with the opening of École Fraser River Middle School…,” Campbell said. “It has been a busy but truly remarkable time wherein we have laid a robust foundation for the success and future of the New Westminster School District."
For longtime school board observers, one of Gaiptman’s most notable achievements, however, has been uniting a notoriously fractured board.
Vice-chair Casey Cook acknowledged the feat to the Record in December.
"In the last year, this is a very different board," he said. "To be really clear, John's been a huge, huge influence ... in terms of opening up views that weren't really there before. Before it was always about hoarding information and hoarding power."
No specific time frame for Gaiptman’s replacement has been set, but Campbell said the board plans to start interviewing candidates in the next six weeks.
