Preston — Town and school officials have selected the former Avon public schools business manager as the new town and school finance director starting Aug. 3, First Selectman Robert Congdon announced Thursday.

John Spang Jr., 60, of Avon will succeed former town and school finance director Greg Schuyler, who left in spring to take a position in the private sector. Spang’s salary will be $93,600, Preston Superintendent John Welch said Friday.

Spang was chosen from an initial field of 29 applicants. Town officials involved in the search interviewed seven finalists and chose Welch for his strength in school business matters, Welch and Congdon said.

The position is divided into four days working for Preston Public Schools and one day at Town Hall per week.

Congdon told the Board of Selectmen on Thursday that he was surprised Spang was interested in the Preston position. But Spang said the Avon position — along with 20 other school staff positions — was cut in the 2015-16 budget.

Spang also has experience working in southeastern Connecticut and said he looks forward to returning to the region.

“I was attracted by the chance to apply my experiences to both sides of municipal government,” Spang said Friday, “the Board of Education and the town, and the opportunity to work with the first selectman.”

Spang has served as Avon assistant superintendent for finance and operations from 2011 through June 30 of this year, overseeing all business and noneducational operations for the 3,200-student district.

Prior to that, he served from 2006 to 2011 as regional director of operations for school bus company Student Transportation of America Inc. at the company’s Groton regional office.

Spang served as assistant superintendent for business in the Katonah-Lewisboro, N.Y., school district for 17 months in 2005 and 2006. He was terminated and filed suit against the district for breach of contract. The suit was settled.

Welch said information about the lawsuit was revealed during Preston officials’ research into Spang’s background and it was discussed during the interview.

“I am aware of the lawsuit, reviewed it and attached no significance to the case,” Welch said.

Spang declined to comment on the suit, except to say it was settled.

He did say his experience working in a New York school district will help with his new dual town and school role in Preston, because in New York, the school district has taxing authority for its budget, similar to the Connecticut municipal property tax system.

Schuyler has continued to assist Preston with financial matters since he departed and has agreed to work with Spang during his transition into the Preston position.

Spang said he already has been in contact with Schuyler and the two initially will work together the week of Aug. 3.

Spang said he grew up in the Riverside section of Greenwich near Long Island Sound. He and his wife, Jackie, a registered dietician, plan to relocate to southeastern Connecticut at the end of this summer.

The couple has a grown daughter, Betsy Spang, who works for a marketing company in Austin, Texas.

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