After sifting through assistant superintendent candidates during an extensive selection process, the Oak Harbor School Board warmly welcomed 15-year educator Lance Gibbon as the district’s new assistant superintendent.

“We’re very thrilled to have him,” said Superintendent Rick Schulte of the 38-year-old new hire, speaking at last Tuesday’s board meeting. “I thought he was incredibly young, then I realized he’s the same age I was when the district hired me as assistant superintendent. So, he is incredibly young.”

In a moment of unplanned levity, Schulte announced to the board that Gibbon would be the next superintendent. The new assistant superintendent’s predecessor David Peterson, who will take the helm at the North Mason School District, and the board were nonplussed in the wake of the faux pas.

“I thought that was an announcement,” Peterson said with a laugh.

Gibbon will begin his tenure in Oak Harbor July 1 with a $106,000 annual salary. The current principal of Fidalgo Elementary School in Anacortes has ambitiously climbed the administrative ranks. He is a former music teacher in the Lake Washington School District, where he served as assistant principal and technology staff developer.

Gibbon moved to Anacortes in 2000 and has been leading Fidalgo Elementary for four years. He earned his doctorate in executive leadership and his superintendent’s credentials from Seattle Pacific University.

Gibbon said in a recent press release that he pursued the Oak Harbor job because of the community’s “exceptional reputation for high quality programs and commitment to what is best for students.” As he has researched the district even further, his excitement level has skyrocketed. He praised the leadership in the district and thanked Schulte for what he described as an “enjoyable selection process.”

“It was very nice to meet a lot of the interview team folks and it’s really been a wonderful orientation,” Gibbon said of his time with Peterson and his guided tours of the schools.

Schulte called Gibbon a “perfect fit” for Oak Harbor in the press release.

“He has experience and a sterling reputation, but equally important he is a good leader who knows how to work with teachers, parents, and students to come up with the best ideas and solutions for our kids,” the superintendent said.

As a former professional musician and recording artist, Gibbon said he’s passionate about the arts in schools and balancing the needs of every student.

“We have to make sure every child has a school experience meeting academic and athletic and creative needs,” he said.

Gibbon was chosen from a field of 16 applicants, which was narrowed down by a 15-person selection team comprised of parents, administrators and staff.

“Our selection process I think was extremely thorough,” Schulte said. “We had a large selection team … We really did a lot of background checking.”