Superintendent candidates narrowed to four

The Washougal School District Board of Directors has selected four finalists to interview for the position of superintendent. The finalist will succeed Teresa Baldwin, who retires in June.

A total of 21 people applied for the job.

“We were very pleased with the number of qualified candidates applying for the position,” said Blaine Peterson, board president. “We had a difficult time narrowing the field down to four candidates. We even scheduled in an extra evening to review and determine the best four that we could select. We are looking forward to meeting and interviewing these exceptional people.”

The finalists will visit the Washougal School District on Friday to meet district staff, students and community members and tour schools. On Saturday, the finalists will have formal interviews with the Board of Directors.

Community members are invited to an open house to meet the candidates on Friday, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Washougal High School Commons, 1201 39th St.

The finalists are:

Robert Kuehl: He is assistant superintendent for human resources in the Tumwater School District in Tumwater, Wash. Kuehl has worked for the district since 1981 as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, director of secondary education, director of capital projects and district programs, and human resources executive director.

Kuehl earned his bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University and his master’s in education from the University of Puget Sound. He holds principal credentials through the University of Puget Sound and superintendent credentials through Washington State University. He lives in Olympia.

Rebecca Miner: She is assistant superintendent in the Washougal School District. Prior to taking her current position in 2007, Miner served as special services administrator for secondary programs in the Vancouver School District. Previously, she was an associate principal in the Vancouver School District from 2001 to 2005.

Miner earned her bachelor’s degree from Lake Forest College in Illinois, and her master’s in teaching from Willamette University in Oregon. She holds a principal certificate from City University and a superintendent certificate through Washington State University.

She lives in Vancouver.

James Sutton: He is Superintendent of the Kalama School District in Kalama, Wash., a position he has held since 1997. Sutton was formerly Inchelium School District superintendent in Inchelium, Wash., from 1993 to 1997. Previously, he served as principal in the Granite Falls School District.

Sutton earned his bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University and his master’s degree from California State University. He earned his superintendent’s certificate through Washington State University.

He lives in Kalama.

Dawn Tarzian: She is currently superintendent of the Corvallis School District in Corvallis, Ore., a position she has held since 2005. Prior to that she served as assistant superintendent and director of teaching and learning for the school district. Prior to becoming an administrator in Corvallis, Tarzian served as director of student services for Linn Benton Lincoln ESD, principal for the Greater Albany School District in Albany, Ore, and principal in the Falls City School District in Falls City, Ore.

Tarzian earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara and her master’s in education from the University of Oregon. She holds an Oregon administrator’s license.