Higley USD picks three local finalists for superintendency

By Tom Blodgett
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The Higley Unified School District’s next superintendent will be a local selection. 

The district announced its three finalists, who are all from the East Valley, including one internal candidate. 

David Loutzenheiser, HUSD’s executive director for secondary education and athletics, was among the finalists. The others come from neighboring districts: Erika Copeland, associate superintendent of the Queen Creek Unified School District, and Randy Mahlerwein, assistant superintendent of secondary schools for Mesa Public Schools. 

The three are vying to replace Sherry Richards, who is retiring as superintendent at the end of the fiscal year. 

The public will have a chance to meet the three during a public forum Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the district office, 2935 S. Recker Road, Gilbert. The event also will be live-streamed on YouTube. 

Copeland will appear at 6 p.m., Loutzenheiser at 7 and Mahlerwein at 8.  

The district anticipates the governing board making a selection March 4. 

The district has been mostly searching since June 2023 when Dawn Foley resigned. Richards, the associate superintendent, was appointed as interim while a search was conducted using a search firm. 

That search resulted in the selection of Nate Carman from the Socorro Independent School District in El Paso, Texas.  

However, the board quickly withdrew the offer after Socorro placed Carman on administrative leave March 25 as an external forensics audit identified him as having a possible conflict of interest regarding district purchasing decisions.    

The board then elevated Richards, who was serving as interim superintendent, to the full-time superintendent for the year. Richards postponed her retirement to fill the void when Carman’s contract was rescinded. 

Carman was one of two finalists in last year’s search, both from out of state. This search was conducted by the district without the use of a search firm. 

Loutzenheiser, a 26-year educator and Arizona native, has degrees from NAU and ASU. He has served as a teacher, coach, principal and administrator. Passionate about student success, he has led innovative academic and athletic programs, according to the district.  

Copeland has 27 years of experience and holds degrees from Arizona State University and Northern Arizona. She specializes in instructional leadership, strategic planning, and school operations. She is known for fostering collaboration and student success through transparent communication, cultivating high-performing teams and a culture of excellence, according to the district. 

Mahlerwein, a 27-year education leader, specializes in instructional innovation and strategic partnerships. He has led school redesign efforts and secured major grants. A former Higley USD administrator, he champions STEM education and workforce development, according to the district. He also mentors future leaders as an adjunct professor and serves on national education boards. 

We would like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Tom Blodgett can be reached by email at tblodgett@iniusa.org or follow him @sp_blodgett on X.      

Tom Blodgett
Senior News Editor | Gilbert

tblodgett@iniusa.org

Meet Tom
Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.

Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.

Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism. 

Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.  

Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).