The South Coast Education Service District Board of Directors has tapped a school psychologist to serve as its interim superintendent next school year.

At its regular meeting, held in Brookings, the board voted unanimously Tuesday to hire George Woodruff, of Vashon, Wash., to a one-year contract.

Previously a superintendent in the Port Angeles (Wash.) School District for six years, Woodruff currently serves as a psychologist for the Vashon Island School District, in the Puget Sound area.

“To get someone like George, it's a once in a lifetime shot,” said ESD Board Chairman Tom Giles. “He's a person that is very communicative, very personable, warm. He's a fantastic man.”

Giles said Woodruff distinguished himself by coming into his interview prepared.

“He had done his homework. He had visited our Web site, read our board minutes, our district archives. He had talked with (departing superintendent) Rick Howell,” he said. “He knew who we were. He was ready.”

Giles said there was little debate among board members when it was time to decide between the three finalists for the position.

“It came down to only him,” he said.

Woodruff will begin his duties on July 1, when he takes over from Howell, who had his contract terminated by the board in April on a 4-3 vote. The district will pay Woodruff $105,000 to serve as its interim superintendent. Among his anticipated tasks is to improve staff morale, which suffered during the debate about Howell's contract.

“We expect him to work with our constituent districts to foster unity and to get all the good feelings back that we have lost in the past year,” Giles said.

Woodruff said the position appealed to him because of the South Coast's similarity to the community he served in Port Angeles.

“There was a natural attraction there for me,” he said. “Both are natural resource economies with a history rooted in lumber and fishing.”

While he has no history with the South Coast, Woodruff has experience with special education from his time as a superintendent and assistant superintendent. He said his current role also has provided insight into the issues facing students.

“Working as a school psychologist has given me a front-row seat for seeing the challenges that faculty, parents and students must face,” he said. “It's the student that will drive our purpose.”