Three from southwest MO in running for Fayetteville superintendent job

Claudette Riley, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read
John Mulford
John Mulford

Of the 31 applicants for the Fayetteville Arkansas superintendent job, the school board wants to interview six — and half are from southwest Missouri, including:

  • John Mulford, deputy superintendent of operations, Springfield;

  • Brad Swofford, superintendent, Branson;

  • Anthony Rossetti, superintendent, Webb City.

The other candidates include:

  • Marie Feagins, chief of leadership development and high schools, Detroit, Michigan;

  • Keith McGree, superintendent, Helena-West Helena school district, Arkansas;

  • Jeannine Porter, chief of marketing, communications and strategic initiatives, Irving, Texas.

The Fayetteville school board met Saturday to identify the candidates who will be interviewed to succeed the retiring superintendent, John Colbert, who has spent more than 45 years in Fayetteville schools.

Fayetteville is the home of the main University of Arkansas campus.

The first round of interviews will be next week. Following cuts, select applicants will be invited to a second interview in mid-February, after which the board hopes to announce a hire.

More:Mansfield's next district leader is third-generation Missouri educator

Brad Swofford
Brad Swofford

Fayetteville, located in northwest Arkansas, has 10,500 students and nearly 1,500 employees. The advertised salary is $275,000.

GR Recruiting, the firm hired to help guide the board through this process, recently told the board that 57 school leaders showed interest in the job. The applicants were from 15 states, including Georgia, Arkansas, Kansas, Illinois, New Mexico, Michigan, Washington, Tennessee, Nebraska, Missouri, Utah, New Jersey, Texas, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

In mid-December, Mulford announced plans to retire from Springfield Public Schools. This is his second year in the district.

Anthony Rossetti
Anthony Rossetti

Mulford was previously superintendent in West Plains and the Meramec Valley district near St. Louis.

Swofford has been superintendent in Branson since 2016. He previously served as assistant superintendent there.

Rossetti has been superintendent in Webb City since 2010. He was also superintendent in Miller.

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Three from southwest MO in running for Fayetteville superintendent job