Former McKeesport Area and current Beaver Area Superintendent Mark Holtzman is set to become Hempfield’s top school official.

Holtzman will be recommended for appointment as superintendent of Hempfield Area School District at a special board meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to a letter sent to parents Tuesday from the district.

He will be appointed for a five-year term effective July 1. His salary was not disclosed Tuesday.

Holtzman will fill the vacancy left by former district superintendent Tammy Wolicki, who announced her retirement Jan. 22, following an extended leave of absence. Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education Kimberlie Rieffannacht is serving as interim superintendent through June 30.

Holtzman became superintendent at Beaver Area School District in 2022 and was superintendent at McKeesport Area School District from 2017 to 2022. He previously served in administrative roles at McKeesport, along with his time as superintendent. He also has worked as a dean of students.

In a statement, Hempfield board President Jerry Radebaugh said Hempfield’s directors are pleased with the quality of applicants who applied for the position.

“Dr. Holtzman did extremely well during the interview process and was an excellent fit. We are pleased with the outcome,” Radebaugh said.

The board had tapped education consultant Peter Emery D’Arcangelo, who retired in 2013 as superintendent of Franklin Regional School District, to facilitate the superintendent search in February.

Stakeholder groups, which included teachers, administrative team members, central office secretaries, custodians and maintenance supervisors, parents, high school students and board members, all met with D’Arcangelo to provide input during the search process.

Holtzman would join Hempfield Area as it restarts a project to update its high school. Initial bids for the project came in millions of dollars over budget in August. The original architect resigned from the work and a new architect, Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates of Mechanicsburg, was named April 22 to replace Bellevue-based Core Architects.

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