At 7:00 Friday morning, the Groveport Madison Local Schools Board of Education held a special Board meeting to employ Garilee Ogden as the District's next superintendent. With a unanimous vote, Mrs. Ogden was awarded a three-year contract beginning on August 1, 2018, as well as an interim superintendent contract, which allows her to begin her duties on July 1.
Mrs. Ogden currently serves as the Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development for Groveport Madison Schools. She will succeed Interim Superintendent John Hurd, who has served the district as interim superintendent since February 2018.
The Board of Education has been conducting a superintendent search since March 2018, with the assistance of K-12 Business Consulting. After developing a superintendent profile that was based on information provided by parents, teachers, community members, administrators and support staff, the Board reviewed the credentials of 29 applicants.
The Board conducted interviews with eight semi-finalist candidates on May 9 and May 10, after a committee of 31 citizens and district employees first screened each candidate during “Meet and Greet” sessions. Three finalists returned on May 23 for a second interview with the Board and a “Meet and Greet” session with approximately 100 staff and community members.
“Mrs. Ogden’s overall experience and her track record as a director of curriculum and instruction, director of accountability and professional development, and as an elementary and intermediate school principal, made her a strong candidate from the beginning,” said Board President Bryan Shoemaker. “We believe she has the expertise to work collaboratively with the Board, the staff, and community to help establish an exemplary vision and direction for the future.”
Mrs. Ogden began her educational career in 1994 as newspaper reporter covering school and government events for the Deming Headlight/Las Cruses Sun News. Prior to moving to Ohio, she served as a teacher, principal and director for the Deming Public Schools in Las Cruses, New Mexico. She was hired by South-Western City Schools as an intermediate school principal in 2008, was recruited by Dublin City Schools to be an elementary school principal in 2010, and then served as the director of professional development and accountability for Upper Arlington City Schools/Battelle for Kids, in 2013.
Mrs. Ogden received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from New Mexico State University in 1994, and her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the New Mexico State University in 1997. She received her educational administration certification and superintendent license from New Mexico State University in 2000 and 2017, respectively.
“I am honored to have the privilege to serve the students, staff and community of Groveport Madison Local Schools”, Mrs. Ogden said. “I am excited to continue our work with our dedicated staff to ensure the best educational experiences for the students in our district. I look forward to meeting our community members and working with community agencies to partner and collaborate to continue providing our students with nothing but the best.”
Mrs. Ogden and her husband Carlos are the parents of two children. Cameron, who is 19 years old, and Kennedy, who is 15 years old.