ORFORD — Orange East Superintendent Randall Gawel will depart to take the helm of the Rivendell Interstate School District beginning July 1.

Gawel will succeed Jennifer Botzojorns, who has served as Rivendell’s interim superintendent since May.

Rivendell received nine applications for the superintendent position, with candidates hailing from Georgia to Maine. A search committee comprising three board members, a teacher and an administrator narrowed the field to three candidates before recommending Gawel.

“He is a strong leader, articulate, a great communicator, and not willing to just say what we want to hear, but willing to give a strong perspective on education in the 21st century,” School Board Chairman Mark Avery said of Gawel in a Friday phone interview.

The hiring of a permanent superintendent comes following a period of leadership turmoil for Rivendell, which serves roughly 420 students from Orford and Fairlee, Vershire and West Farlee. Its schools are the 6-12 Rivendell Academy in Orford and Samuel Morey and Westshire elementary schools in Fairlee and in West Fairlee, respectfully.

Botzojorns initially came on board as Rivendell Academy’s interim principal following the sudden resignation of longtime Principal Keri Gelenian in February 2024. Before that, she led the Kingdom East School District in Lyndon, Vt., as its superintendent for seven years before retiring in June 2023.

When superintendent Barrett Williams resigned his position on May 7, 2024, Rivendell’s board appointed Botzojorns interim superintendent. She then hired Patricia Rella to lead the Academy.

Despite the leadership turnover and a school budget that required two votes to earn voter approval, Rivendell is “in a good spot,” going forward, Avery said.

Much of that stability is thanks to Botzojorn’s leadership, he said.

“She was the finest superintendent I have ever worked with,” Avery said. “The stability did not take long to achieve under her leadership.”

Botzojorns was not a candidate for the permanent superintendent position.

“It has been a pleasure to provide whatever I could in terms of organizing, planning and supporting the already strong programs,” she said by email.

Gawel has served as Orange East’s superintendent in Bradford, Vt., for the past four years. He grew up in the White Mountains and attended Lyndon State College — now part of Vermont State University — before heading to the metro Detroit area for about 25 years, he said by email. In Michigan, he was a teacher, dean, assistant principal and principal at a number of schools.

Orange East — which includes schools in Bradford, Newbury, Wells River, Thetford and East Corinth — has begun the process of searching for Gawel’s replacement, using the consulting services of the Vermont School Board’s Association. The goal is to make a hire by July 1, Gawel said.

Christina Dolan can be reached at cdolan@vnews.com or 603-727-3208.