UPDATE | New Chimacum and Port Townsend superintendents excited to start work

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The two new superintendents for the Chimacum and Port Townsend school districts told their respective school boards they were excited to start work.

The new district leaders were announced in a special joint meeting of both school boards Wednesday, Feb. 24.

Scott Mauk will be the new district superintendent for Chimacum schools, and Linda Rosenbury will be the new superintendent for the Port Townsend School District.

Both candidates were confirmed by unanimous votes.

Mauk is currently the principal at Edmonds Heights K-12, Alternative Learning Experience in the Edmonds School District.

"I want to lead in the direction you want to go,” Mauk told the school board after the vote.

Rosenbury is currently pursuing a doctorate's degree in education leadership from Harvard University and is a doctoral resident in Highline Public Schools, where she works closely with the superintendent and district leaders.

"I look forward to joining the team... I'm thrilled to start the work,” Rosenbury said.

"I thank you for giving me this opportunity,” she added.

"I'm really looking forward to working with Linda,” Mauk added. “I think we're a dynamic duo.”

Before Mauk was hired by the Edmonds School District in 2013, he was assistant principal/athletic director at South Whidbey High School. He worked for South Whidbey schools for 17 years, which included stints as a teacher and program director.

Mauk has a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University, a master’s degree in teaching from The Evergreen State College, and a doctorate’s degree in education from Seattle Pacific University.

Rosenbury has 19 years of experience in education and has been a teacher and a principal.

She was awarded a bachelor of arts from Yale University and a master's degree of education from Mercy College.

She enjoys playing the violin, singing, hiking and cycling.

The search for a superintendent began in October for both school districts. The two school boards agreed to work collaboratively with a single consultant, Human Capital Enterprises, during the process.

Preliminary candidates were interviewed in January, and top choices for the post were interviewed in early February.

The Port Townsend School Board and the Chimacum School Board both unanimously picked their finalist for district superintendent at a joint board meeting Saturday, Feb. 24.

Board members kept the identities of the two finalists confidential, pending detailed background checks and contract negotiations with the two candidates.

Both district leaders will take over as superintendent July 1.

The new superintendent for the Port Townsend District will replace Sandy Gessner-Crabtree, who was picked for as interim superintendent in February 2020 after then-superintendent John Polm announced the month before he had planned to step down in June 2020 to take the superintendent position at the Puyallup School District.

Chimacum's new superintendent will take the helm from David Engle, who was named acting superintendent by the Chimacum School Board in July.

Engle will stay on to assist both districts with the transition to new superintendents, he said.