MANSFIELD — Applicants for the position of Clear Fork Valley Local Schools superintendent include internal administrators, local high school principals and educators from across the state.
Clear Fork received 13 applicants for the position, posted last month through the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center.
“We are pleased with the number of resumes we received and believe there are qualified applicants to be considered,” school board president Brian Johnson said.
Internal applicants for the position include Bellville Elementary principal Jonathan Burras and Butler Elementary principal Libby Nickoli.
Johnson said the board will interview candidates during its Feb. 25 meeting and choose the top three to be interviewed on March 4 by some of the teachers, support staff, and local residents.
The new superintendent will succeed John Thomas, whom the board hired as an interim last April.
The applicants for the position include:
Alan Keesee, principal of Hillsdale High School. Keesee began his education career in 2002 and has been a school administrator since 2008.
Benji Bethea, a real estate investor and independent insurance broker. Bethea worked as Clear Fork’s athletic director for three years and was a middle and high school principal at the Northmor Local School District for four years.
Cody Reese, junior high and high school principal for East Knox Local Schools. From 2015 to 2021, Reese was the principal of East Knox Elementary. He spent five years as the district’s head football coach.
Denver Fowler, the associate dean of graduate and undergraduate students at California State University-Bakersfield. Fowler spent more than a decade working in PreK-12, but has worked in higher education since 2015.
Elizabeth “Libby” Nickoli, Butler Elementary Principal and Clear Fork Valley Schools curriculum director. Nickoli spent 11 years as an intervention specialist for Madison Local Schools and has served as a special education coordinator at Clear Fork, Crestline, Lucas and Abraxas.
Heather Coles, a school psychologist. According to her resume, she was worked for Mansfield City Schools and Addison Central School in Addison, New York. Coles holds a doctorate of education in organizational leadership with an emphasis in K-12 leadership.
Jonathan Burras, Bellville Elementary Principal and special education director for Clear Fork Valley Local Schools. Burras has worked for the district since 2023. Prior to that, he spent eight years as the director of pupil services for Mansfield City Schools.
Laura Young, principal of Holgate Elementary School since 2011. Before becoming a principal, Young spent 12 years as a third grade teacher for Defiance City Schools.
Lloyd “Skip” Fulton, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for Mapleton Local Schools. Fulton spent 15 years teaching social students at Mansfield City Schools. He also has experience as a middle school principal and athletic director.
Martin Yoder, principal of Gateway Online Academy of Ohio. Yoder has been an educator since 1995 and worked as an associate principal for Wooster City Schools and a high school principal at Black River Local Schools.
Richard Leone, curriculum administrator for Summit Academy Schools. He has worked in education since 2007 and held multiple administrative roles, including athletic director, middle school principal, high school principal and assistant superintendent.
Steven Whitmoyer, lead program instructor for construction science at Gateway Technical College in Wisconsin. Whitmoyer is a civil engineer by trade but has taught engineering, surveying and construction management at the college level for 24 years.
Tony Meinerding, who did not submit a resume. According to his LinkedIn page, he has worked in education administration since 2001.