Schools

Suzette Lovely Unanimously Voted CUSD Superintendent

Current superintendent John Roach and his management team will help Lovely transition into her new position.

The (CUSD) Board of Trustees has unanimously selected Suzette Lovely to serve as the new District Superintendent. According to CUSD Board President Kelli Moors, Lovely has accepted the position. To finalize the selection, Board members will visit Lovely’s current school district and complete the process. She will replace Superintendent John A. Roach, Ed.D., who is June 30, 2012 after serving eight years in that position.

Lovely currently serves as Assistant Superintendent, Personnel Services, at Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District. That district serves 25,000 students at 34 elementary, middle and high school sites. CUSD serves 11,000 students at nine elementary, three middle and currently one high school site. , now under construction, will open in Fall 2013. 

Moors states, “We were gratified by the sizable number of highly qualified applicants. The Board meticulously reviewed each application and met with several excellent candidates. The selection was by no means easy or quick, but after diligent review, all five Board members concur that we have found the best leader to fulfill the District’s needs; today and into the future.”

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Moors says that Lovely’s experience in opening a high school and her proven ability to increase student achievement, especially at the secondary level, were two deciding factors in the Board’s decision. CUSD is implementing a rigorous College and Career Readiness Program to ensure that all students meet UC and State University entrance requirements, so they will enjoy options to succeed in college, career and life.

CUSD Board Vice President Elisa Williamson notes, “The Board’s most critical responsibility is to select a Superintendent. Working with the Superintendent, the Board sets forth a clear vision for our District’s services and program offerings to promote student achievement. We look forward to working with Suzette to accomplish ambitious goals.”

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Dr. Roach says that he plans to work closely with Lovely before he departs. He states, “I am impressed by the deliberate nature of the Superintendent Search Process, which was conducted by the Board with a great deal of stakeholder input and a high level of integrity and transparency. As we transition to new District leadership, I feel confident that the management team of Assistant Superintendents Torrie Norton, Suzanne O’Connell and Devin Vodicka will provide a strong foundation for Suzette.”

Dr. Vodicka states, “On behalf of our leadership team, I welcome Suzette to Carlsbad Unified School District. We look forward to using our collective strengths to achieve our vision of providing a world-class education to each of our K-12 students.”

Suzette Lovely is a 29-year educator with deep roots in Southern California. Prior to joining PYLUSD as Assistant Superintendent in 2009, she progressed upward through an array of positions at Capistrano Unified School District from 1983-2009. She began her career as a classroom teacher, assuming the position of Assistant Principal in 1988 and Principal in 1990. In 1998, she was appointed Director of Elementary School Operations; in 2002, she was promoted to Chief Personnel Officer and in 2004 to Deputy Superintendent, Personnel Services. Between 2007-2009, she served two stints as Acting Superintendent, assisting the Board in the recruitment/selection of superintendents and facilitating the successful opening of a high school.

Lovely will complete her Ed.D. from California State University Fullerton in Summer 2012. She has taught at the university level, authored three books and several journal articles and presented at national and state conferences. Colleagues describe Lovely as a strong, diplomatic, collaborative leader who models stability, is focused on effective teamwork, is skilled at conflict resolution, invests in the professional mentoring of future leaders and, above all, exudes a true passion for education.

Saying that she believes her expertise meshes well with the District’s needs, Lovely states, “I feel genuinely honored to be selected to lead a high-achieving District of this caliber. I call CUSD a ‘destination district’ because it’s a stellar place where people want to come, not leave. I look forward to working with the Board, staff and community to ensure that Carlsbad continues on its path toward excellence.”

–CUSD Press Release


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