BELLBROOK — The Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local School District Board of Education took action at a special meeting Jan. 31 to employ Dr. Douglas Cozad as superintendent of schools, effective July 1.
Cozad, who was awarded a three-year contract, is currently the assistant superintendent of the Franklin City School District. He will replace the retiring Keith St. Pierre, who has served the school district as superintendent for the past 24 years.
The board has been conducting a superintendent search since October. The board received the assistance in the process from K-12 Business Consulting, Inc. — a superintendent search firm — and Greene County Educational Service Center Superintendent Terry Strieter.
After developing a superintendent profile that was based on input received during nine staff/community focus group sessions and from survey responses from 93 parents, teachers, administrators, support staff members and students, the board reviewed the credentials of 15 applicants, many of whom were recruited.
Board interviews with eight semi-final candidates were conducted on Jan. 15 and Jan. 18 after a committee of 24 citizens and district employees first had the opportunity to ask each candidate questions during meet and greet sessions. Two finalists returned on Jan. 29 for a second interview with the board.
“Dr. Cozad’s overall experience and his track record as an assistant superintendent and as a principal, made him a strong candidate from the beginning,” Mary Frantz, Board President, said. “We believe he has the expertise to work collaboratively with the board, the staff, and community to help establish an exemplary vision and direction for the future.”
Cozad has served the Franklin City School District as assistant superintendent for the past four school years. Previously, he was the principal of Kettering Middle School between 2009 and 2014, after serving as a central unit principal at Kettering Fairmont High School from 2005 until 2009. Cozad began his educational career in 1997 as a social studies teacher at Northmont High School. He then became Northmont’s Supervisor of Technology for three years beginning in 2002.
Cozad received his bachelor’s degree in comprehensive secondary education from Wright State University in 1996, his master’s degree in education from the University of Dayton in 2000, and his Ph.D. in educational leadership from Northcentral University in 2011. During the current school year, Dr. Cozad has served on the Bellbrook Strategic Planning Facilities Subcommittee.
Cozad and his wife Amy reside in the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local School District. They are the parents of four children; Chelsea is a senior at Bellbrook High School, Drew is a 6th grader at Bellbrook Middle School, and Alison and Zach are both graduates of Bellbrook High School.
“I am extremely honored to have been selected as the new Superintendent of Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools,” Cozad stated. “We have a long tradition of excellence and I am looking forward to the opportunity of working collaboratively to take an already great school district to even higher levels.”
Cozad will have a 15-day consulting contract to be utilized in April, May and June for transition purposes into his new position. Then he will have a one-month interim superintendent’s contract beginning Sunday, July 1 before starting his official three-year contract on Wednesday, Aug. 1.
