Wheeler BOE Names Superintendent Finalist
After a search that began in July, the Wheeler County Board of Education has named Dr. C. Alex Alvarez as the finalist for the Superintendent of Wheeler County Schools. The final decision will remain on the table for 30 days for public review before Alvarez is officially approved for the position. Dr. Alvarez has 22 years of public education experience and is currently the Principal of Valdosta Early College Academy and Director of Gifted Services for the Valdosta City Schools. Before that, he served as a continued from page
teacher, head coach, and district leader in Rockdale County, Cobb County and Valdosta City Schools.
The naming of the finalist culminates several months of intense search activity by the Wheeler County Board of Education. The Board employed search consultants Georgia Leadership Associates, and with the help of the search firm, the position was advertised, 22 applications reviewed, candidates screened, and lengthy interviews conducted. With the naming of the finalist, the Board must now wait at least 14 days before taking an official vote to employ Dr. Alvarez.
Dr. Alvarez is a graduate of Valdosta State University earning a B. S. Degree in education, a M. Ed. Degree in Education and an Ed.S. Degree in Teaching and Learning. He holds a Doctor of Education degree from Georgia State University in Educational Leadership.
He has extensive experience in district level leadership and is currently a member of the Superintendent Professional Development Program coordinated by the Georgia School Superintendent Association (GSSA). In addition, he has completed GSSA’s Human Resources Institute, the Facility and Capital Outlay Institute, the District Office Leadership Program, and the District Planning, Funding, and Budget Institute.
Dr. Alvarez has also been involved in both professional and community organizations. He has been a member of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders, the American Education Research Association, the Georgia Association of Curriculum and Instruction Supervisors, the Georgia Association of Gifted Teachers and the Georgia Science Teachers Association. He is the Immediate Past President of the Kiwanis Club of Valdosta and currently serves as the chair of the City of Valdosta Preservation Commission.
Dr. Alvarez and his wife, Jennie, have two daughters: Emily is a nursing student in Valdosta and Elizabeth is an engineering student at the University of Georgia.
Michael (Sandy) Morrison, Chair of the Board of Education, stated, “We are extremely happy to have someone with the experience and ability of Dr. Alvarez to serve as our next superintendent. He is committed to Wheeler County, has a record of successful leadership, and will also bring new ideas to our school system. We have had a very deliberate and thorough search process, and I am appreciative of all the work by the members of the Board.”
The search for a new superintendent commenced following the resignation of Suzanne Couey in June. Dr. Quent Floyd has been serving as interim superintendent since Couey’s resignation.
