The South Whidbey School Board chose Becky Clifford to lead as the district’s new superintendent.
The decision was announced last Thursday. Clifford, the assistant superintendent of the Anacortes School District, was picked from three finalists, which included Liz Ritz, the director of teaching and learning at the Oak Harbor School District, and Kristine Michael, the superintendent of Northridge Local School District in Ohio.
Clifford has 20 years in education that have prepared her for the new role.
As the assistant superintendent in Anacortes, where she has been working since 2020, she has led school curriculum, defined strategic goals, overseen student safety and services, managed budgets, managed community partnerships, aligned resources with district priorities and more, according to her resume.
An advocate for students and special education, she also served for five years as the executive director of special services in the Everett School District — where she also landed a superintendent internship in 2016. In the Seattle School District, she led the special education department.
In an email to The Record, Clifford said she applied for the superintendent position because she was drawn to the district’s connections with the community, its commitment to equity and student wellbeing and its strong academics.
She intends to continue building strong relationships within and beyond the district, connecting with students, staff and families to get a better understanding of the schools’ finances, enrollment trends and bond planning.
She has been active in fundraising and volunteer efforts, as community service is important to her. On Whidbey, she has been serving as board treasurer of Citizens Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (or CADA) since March 2024. CADA is Island County’s domestic abuse support agency and is led by Executive Director Andrea Downs, who also serves as a member of the school board.
Clifford also served on the board for the Friends of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands — a nonprofit that for 30 years has been dedicated to the preservation of the city’s community forest lands as well as educating the community on these resources — and has led the Anacortes School District’s Special Olympics Polar Plunge team. She looks forward to getting involved with similar causes on South Whidbey.
When she isn’t working, she enjoys baking, hiking, exploring local restaurants, reading, traveling and spending time with her family, friends and her dog Bruce, she wrote.