New School Administrators Introduced

The Ledyard Board of Education on Wednesday welcomed three new administrators who will be replacing departing principal Mary Porter-Price and assistant principal Shane Winters at Gales Ferry and Juliet W. Long schools, and principal Mary Fort Boyle at Ledyard Center School.

Anne Hogsten was introduced as the new Gales Ferry and Juliet W. Long principal, and Pam Austen will be the new assistant principal at the combined elementary schools. Greg Keith will be the new principal at Ledyard Center School. 

For the past two years Hogsten has been principal of Moosup Elementary School in Plainfield. She lives in Hope Valley, RI, but said she and her husband are planning to relocate to the Groton area.

Before taking the Moosup position, Hogsten was assistant principal at the Deans Mill Elementary School in Stonington until the position was eliminated in one of that town’s multi-referendum budget years.

“I have had my eye on Ledyard for a while, and I always thought if a position were to open up I would apply for it,” she told board members.

Keith also is a Stonington schools veteran, having worked for 14 years as assistant principal at both Mystic Middle School and Pawcatuck Middle School. A Preston resident, Keith attended NFA, played college basketball at Wake Forest and Fairfield University, and even played professionally for a couple of years.

Keith told board members he grew up next-door in Preston and remains very connected to Ledyard, through friends and acquaintances and youth sports. “When I saw the posting, I felt it was a perfect fit,” he said.

Austen is a relatively new administrator at Deep River Elementary School, having recently completed her Ph.D. She began her career in the U.S. Army before transitioning to the classroom. “Both of my parents were educators, so perhaps it was inherited,” she told board members.

Ledyard schools Assistant Superintendent Cathy Patterson led the search effort to fill the vacating positions, soliciting comment from parents and the public by holding forums to find out “what attributes make a good school principal.”

Austen said she felt very at ease during the interview process. She said Patterson had told her that “generally it works out that (the district) finds people who love us and we love them.” She described her interviewers as “kind and welcoming, but also very knowledgeable.”

All three new hires spoke favorably about the interview process. Keith said he particularly liked touring the school and meeting some of the students. “It was good to get down on one knee and talk to the kids,” he said. “It’s good to be in Ledyard,” he added.

Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Graner said faculty and staff at the schools will meet their new leaders during the school day on June 9, and parents will have a chance to meet them later that evening.

In other school board news, members bid farewell to seven-year member Paul Kunkemoeller.  Board Chairwoman expressed her thanks and best wishes.

"Paul's oversight of the district's finances has been both practical and visionary," Hightower said. "The hallmark of his service on the board has been his operating with excellence. He unfailingly reminded us of the need to maintain high standards."

Kunkemoeller, who is moving out of town, returned the compliment.

"It has been my pleasure to work with such great members of the community," he said. "This is an amazing collection of people, and the town is very lucky to have such a group of people serving on this board."