Two Finalists to Vie for Lakeville Superintendent Post

Following a full day of initial interviews, the Lakeville School Board has selected Lisa Snyder and Bob Laney as finalists for the district's vacant superintendent position. The board interviewed five candidates out of a total of 29 applicants and quickly settled on Snyder and Laney as the front-runners following an informal straw vote.

Snyder currently serves as the Superintendent of the Merrill, WI, school district. Snyder has been in that position since 2009.

A Winona native, Snyder was recently a finalist for the Rochester, Minnesota superintendent position, a move she was quoted as saying would help bring her closer to her family still in the area.

Ken Dragseth of School Exec Connect (SEC), the company conducting the search for the district, praised Snyder as being “very well read and research based.”

Dragseth said Snyder has a strong technological background and that “there are very few technological initiatives that she does not know about or been involved in.”

Laney is currently the Assistant Superintendent for the St. Louis Park public schools in Minnesota and also serves as that district’s Director of Human Resources.

Laney was also recently under consideration for the Shakopee and Stillwater superintendent positions.

Toni Johns from SEC said Laney had been “recruited back to every district” he’s been involved in and has an innovative track record of initiatives that are now being used as national models.

Johns said Laney spearheaded a difficult school closure process in St. Louis Park that resulted in no community backlash and praised him for his “ability to see the big picture.”

“He builds trust by the way he interacts with people and builds long-term relationships.”

St. Louis Park was named as the top high school in Minnesota by Newsweek Magazine in 2009.

The schedule moving forward calls for the candidates to return for a full-day of interviews each on Wednesday and Thursday of each week. The candidates will be given a tour of the district on their respective days as well as participate in a broad interview process that includes a number of school and community groups.

All interviews will be conducted at the Lakeville South High School community room and include an opportunity for the public to meet and question the candidates. Those sessions are tentatively scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on both days.