LEBANON — An educator with Upper Valley ties will be the next superintendent of the city’s schools.

The School Board voted Thursday to hire Amy Allen, assistant superintendent for teaching, leading and learning in the Manchester School District, as successor to Joanne Roberts, who will depart in June after nine years leading the district.

In a statement to the Valley News, Allen said she is “grateful for the opportunity to return to the Upper Valley to serve the community of Lebanon as its school superintendent” and she looks forward to working with the students, faculty and staff and the community.

Allen was one of two finalists for the position who visited the city earlier this month.

“We were very fortunate to have a really strong slate of candidates,” said School Board Chairman Richard Milius, a member of the superintendent search committee. “There was a high degree of consensus among committee members that (Allen) was the best.”

In a phone interview, Milius described Allen as “a collaborative leader with a focus on the big picture” of education, an excellent communicator and “a people person.”

“She is someone who will be very visible in the schools and in the community at large,” Milius said.

Allen, a former Enfield resident, has spent the last decade as a school administrator in Manchester. Prior to becoming assistant superintendent in 2017, she was principal at Parker-Varney Elementary School and assistant principal of student services at Hillside Middle School.

Allen’s administrative experience, Milius noted, illustrates her ability to be successful in a large New Hampshire school district managing a wide and complex spectrum of educational issues.

She also brings experience in developing school initiatives in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, according to Milius, who said that Lebanon is considering DEI needs and opportunities as part of its district strategic plan.

Allen, who will assume the role on July 1, will replace Roberts, who announced last spring that she would be leaving the position at the end of this academic year.

Milius, who is not seeking reelection after 10 years of board service, credited Roberts for her strong leadership and numerous accomplishments, which include “substantial gains” in academic achievement and navigating the schools through the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“We were fortunate to have her, and she is leaving a good foundation for Amy to build upon,” Milius said.

Patrick Adrian may be reached at padrian@vnews.com or at 603-727-3216.

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