After interviewing five candidates for interim superintendent, the Lebanon School Board selected George Lanning as the finalist on Nov. 5. The board interviewed candidates in public meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday before board members met in executive session to discuss their choice.

"We deliberated for two hours and came together as a board and agreed he had the qualities we were looking for in an interim superintendent. I feel very confident in our choice," said Lebanon School Board chair Josh Wineteer.

Lanning is scheduled to visit Lebanon today, Nov. 12 and meet staff members. A public meet-and-greet session is to be held this evening from 6 to 6:45 p.m. at the district office, 485 S. Fifth Street. Afterward, the board will meet in executive session to discuss the next steps in the hiring process. The board will convene back into general session to approve Lanning's hiring.

Betsy Miller-Jones, leadership services associate director for the Oregon School Board Association, who has been consulting with the district on the interim superintendent position, said the board hopes to make a final decision tonight but might need more time. Lanning has agreed to a second round of public meetings if necessary, Miller-Jones said.

Lanning retired in 2002 after serving in the Amity School District for 25 years, the last 17 as superintendent

From 2002 to 2004, he was the executive director of the Oregon Small Schools Association. From 2006 to 2007, he was the interim principal for the William J. Lord High School at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn.

After graduating from Oregon State University in 1971 with a degree in agriculture education, Lanning began his education career as vocational programs instructor at Estacada Union High School.

Lanning retired from the Oregon Army National Guard as a colonel in 2006. He enlisted in the Guard in 1971 and earned a commission as a second lieutenant in 1975.

During his interview with the school board on Nov. 4, Lanning said despite the turmoil the district has experienced recently, he viewed the interim position as a tremendous opportunity to get involved with youth again.

Lanning said an important function of the interim superintendent would be bringing recognition to student and staff achievement.

"There are a lot of positive things going on in Lebanon," Lanning said. "We have to look at how to celebrate student and staff success and build on that."

The other candidates interviewed by the board were:

€ Ed Sansom, currently principal of Seven Oak Middle School. Sansom was the superintendent of the St. Regis School District in St. Regis Montana from 1998-2002.

€ Robert "Bob" Sari, a former superintendent of the Santiam and Harney County school districts.

€ Al Davidian, the superintendent of the Barnstable School District in Barnstable, Mass., and the North Marion School District in Aurora. Since retiring he has served as an interim superintendent for the Vernonia School District and the Camas School District in Washington.

€ Rob Thomason, the Nenana City School District superintendent for three years in Nenana, Alaska. Prior to that he worked for the Forest Grove School District from 1989 to 2005 as a principal, director of human resources and director of information technology.

Board members questioned the interim candidates about their experience with contract negotiations, special education and budgeting priorities during the interviews.

Negotiating experience was of particular interest to the board because the district has been in protracted negotiations for a new contract with the its classified employees union since early this year and recently began talks with teachers about an increase in health insurance contributions. The Lebanon Education Association, the teachers' union, will begin negotiations with the district for a new three-year contract this spring.

The interim superintendent will replace Jim Robinson, who resigned as superintendent on Oct. 6, for the rest of the school year. A search for a permanent superintendent will begin early next year and is expected to take several months.