The Ocean View School District has found its next superintendent.
The Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Michael Conroy to succeed Dr. Carol Hansen, who announced her plans to retire this coming July after seven years at the helm of the 7,000-student district.
Conroy, selected after a comprehensive search and a lengthy interview with trustees, signed a three-year contract that takes effect in July.
Ocean View administers 11 elementary schools, four middle schools and two preschools in an area that covers parts of Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Midway City and Westminster. Conroy served as the district’s deputy superintendent from 2015 to 2021 — and that turned out to be a contributing factor in his appointment, officials said.
“Trustees want Dr. Conroy to bring his own perspective to the superintendency while continuing many of the initiatives he helped develop, including a unique program called the Partnership with Administration and Labor,” Board President Gina Clayton-Tarvin said.
According to the district, that partnership has received statewide recognition for its success in cultivating positive work relationships and conditions for employees and stakeholders.
Leadership, teaching experience
Along with expertise in business and operations, Conroy brings significant experience in leadership and teaching. He was a high school math and business teacher for 10 years before serving as a high school principal, director of business services, assistant superintendent and deputy superintendent.
“I am honored by this appointment and look forward to returning to work in Ocean View,” Conroy said in a statement. “It is an exemplary school district that is focused on students and values teachers, staff, families and the community as key contributors to its success.”
The school board’s selection process was led by President Clayton-Tarvin and Vice President Patricia Singer, with assistance from a former Orange County superintendent who now works as a search consultant.
Dr. Joseph M. Farley, who led Capistrano Unified from 2010 to 2014, convened a focus group of parents, teachers, administrators and classified staff to determine what stakeholders desired in their next superintendent and to discuss issues a new leader would encounter.
According to the district, the community was interested in finding a candidate capable of continuing Dr. Hansen’s leadership of the past seven years while preparing the district for upcoming challenges.