Mansfield Board of Ed Appoints School Superintendent

The Mansfield Board of Education unanimously voted to appoint Kelly Lyman as the new superintendent of schools at a special meeting on Tuesday.

Lyman, of West Simsbury, has been assistant superintendent of Regional School District 15 serving Southbury and Middlebury since 2011. She replaces Fred Baruzzi, who resigned from the position in January

Dr. Richard Kisiel, who is serving as the interim superintendent, will continue in the position until Lyman takes over in August. Lyman will lead students, administrators and educational staff for Mansfield’s three elementary schools and middle school that are part of Regional School District 19.

“I am thrilled to be joining a community that places a high value on the care and education of its children,” Lyman said in a statement. “To have the opportunity to lead a school system that has a history of excellence through innovative programming and has maintained a focus on meeting the needs of the whole child will be professionally rewarding for me as an educator.”

The school board hired Trumbull-based C.E.S. to conduct the search for a new superintendent. Lyman was selected from a field of 14 candidates applied for the position.

Lyman entered contract negotiations with the board following a successful day of meeting with community stakeholders on June 16.

“Kelly will bring a wealth of educational experience to our district,” school board Chairman Randy Walikonis said in a statement. “She impressed the search committee with her apparent and relevant leadership qualities, the strength of her elementary and middle school background, and her vision for promoting excellence in our schools.”

In addition to the required Connecticut certifications for executive leadership, Lyman holds a master’s degree in school psychology from the University of Connecticut and a bachelor’s degree in special education/elementary education from Boston College. She also has served as a lead professor of practice in the UConn Educational Leadership program, as an administrator-in-residence for the Connecticut State Department of Education, and as a director of studies for an alternative education experience conducted by a partnership between UConn and the Hartford Public Schools.

“I look forward to meeting the citizens of the Mansfield community and to working with the dedicated faculty and staff in the Mansfield schools, as well as working with our colleagues in Region 19,” Lyman said.

Contributed photo: Kelly Lyman.