16 Member Superintendent Search Sub-Committee Revealed In Email, Finalists Chosen

Only three contenders remain in the search for a new superintendent for the Woonsocket Education Department, and the names of the 16 individuals serving on the search sub-committee responsible for choosing Woonsocket's new education leader have been released, despite efforts to keep the list confidential until the hiring process is complete.

The three finalists include Giovanna M. Donoyan, assistant superintendent of North Providence schools; Michael W. Jolin, superintendent of Thompson Public Schools in Connecticut; and Mario F. Cirillo, former superintendent of East Providence Education Department. The trio has been selected from a pile of more than 100 resumes reportedly submitted for the position. More information on the candidates can be viewed here. 

The first round of interviews was by a "search sub-committee" chosen by committee members Linda Majewski and Eleanor Nadeau in a process that has been subject to some criticism.

Committee member Vimala Phongsavanh has called the process "undemocratic," questioning to serve on the committee. According to Nadeau, a large number of local residents requested a seat on the committee, which was expected to include 20 representatives of the different groups with a hand in Woonsocket education.

"We had many people who wanted to do this," said Nadeau at a July 13 meeting of the School Committee. "We can't pick everyone."

"Unfortunately, while we'd like to honor every request that we've received, we can't do this without having a search committee of 50 or 60 people," said Majewski.

According to the Superintendent Search Committee protocol updated in 2008, 22 members served on the committee that chose the most recent superintendent, Dr. Robert Gerardi.

Nadeau and Majewski assured Phongsavanh that the search committee list would be made public as soon as it was finalized. When interviews for the top 10 contenders began on Friday, however, neither School Committee Chairman Marc Dubois nor Phongsavanh had received the names. During a phone interview Friday around 5 p.m. Dubois told Patch he had no idea the interview process had begun.

, the committeewoman documented her attempts to obtain the information.

"On Wednesday, July 20, 2011, I went to Central Administration and asked for the Superintendent Search Committee list again, in person. I was told I could not see it, and the Interim Superintendent told me to contact Committee Member Majewski for the list," Phongsavanh wrote of her most recent attempt to get the list of names.

Phongsavanh received the names of those on the search committee Monday morning.

In an email marked "PLEASE KEEP CONFIDENTIAL," Executive Secretary Dottie DeRemer delivered the list to Phongsavahn around 10 a.m.

"I am sending the list of people who are on the interview committee," said DeRemer. "The committee has asked that their names be kept confidential until the interview process is over."

Phongsavanh, who has been critical of what she sees as a lack of transparency in the superintendent hiring process, forwarded the list to local media outlets. 

"This is public information and the community deserves to know," said Phongsavanh in a communication she said she sent to multiple local news sources.

In a separate email to the department's attorney, Richard Ackerman, Phongsavanh asks, "Under RIGL and the Open Meetings Act, can we keep this list confidential? Also, please answer this, if the subcommittee is stating publicly that there are 20 members on the committee, why are there only 16 active members and were the alternates contacted to join the committee?"

Search committee lists are not among the 25 exemptions allowing governments to withhold information according to the Open Meetings Act. (Attached above.)

According to Phongsavanh, alternates were expected to be contacted if any members of the selected search committee were unable to serve. Nadeau also referenced an alternate list at the last School Committee meeting.

"None of these people requested to be on the committee," Phongsavanh said of the list, "and those who did and who were considered 'alternates' were not asked to be on the committee."

Erin Boucher, a VISTA at Neighborworks Blackstone River Valley was one person on that alternate list, according to Phongsavanh.

"I was not notified in writing that I was an alternate," said Boucher, "but I heard it through word of mouth. No one has contacted me to serve."

The individuals selected for the search committee are as follows:

• Stacey Busby, director of administration and finance
• Kathleen Lombardo, director of human resource and compliance
• Jeffrey Partington, president of Woonsocket Teachers’ Guild
• Christopher Beauchamp, city council member
• Janet Sullivan, chairwoman of programs for Special Education
• George Lacouture, retired director of grants and assessment
• Kathy DiModica, instructional coach
• Ron Celio, principal of Fifth Avenue Elementary School
• Steve Boss, vice principal of Woonsocket Middle School
• Brian Bouley, vice principal of Woonsocket High School
• Cindy Stepanian, PAC co-chair
• Denise Auclair, PAC Co-Chair
• Lynn Kapiscas, SELAC chairwoman
• Dottie DeRemer, executive secretary
• Alex Kithes, former Woonsocket High School student
• Thomas Wrona, retired teacher

Jessica Frechette, executive board member of the Woonsocket Teachers Guild and Tina Silva, a teacher at Woonsocket High School, were reportedly offered spots, but declined to serve.

Neither Majewski or Nadeau returned calls for comment.