Cherry Creek deputy superintendent Mary Chesley has emerged as the sole finalist for the job being vacated by longtime leader Monte Moses, according to a news release by the school district Tuesday.
The school board on Monday announced Chesley was the finalist after interviewing her last week.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the interview process with Mary Chesley,” board member Jennifer Churchfield said in the release. “When evaluating the superintendent position description, Ms. Chesley clearly exceeds the criteria for this job.”
Chesley joined the Cherry Creek School District in 1989 as a teacher at Creekside Elementary School.
In 1995, she was hired as principal at High Plains Elementary School. She became executive director for elementary education in 1999, assistant superintendent in 2004, and was appointed deputy superintendent in 2007.
Her responsibilities have included supervision of the district’s 39 elementary schools, 10 middle schools and six high schools, as well as alternative programs in the district.
“Ms. Chesley has demonstrated a keen understanding of the district budget, and has a broad picture of human resources in general, and knows and appreciates what our teachers and staff members do every day,” board treasurer Jim O’Brien said.
“During the past five years, Ms. Chesley has been involved in the final hiring decisions of the majority of the district’s principals and assistant principals in their respective current positions.”
Moses in March announced he would step down as superintendent of the suburban Denver school district by June 2009, or sooner if the school board found a replacement.
Under Moses’ stewardship, the high-performing district grew to nearly 50,000 students and adds 1,000 pupils a year. Moses is the highest-paid superintendent in the state, making $337,392 a year.
The board made the decision to make Chesley the finalist on Friday in executive session. Under state law, the board must wait two weeks to offer the job to the finalist, according to Tustin Amole, district spokeswoman.
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
