Stonington — The Board of Education appointed the former superintendent of schools of the Huntington Beach, Calif., Union High School District as the town's new superintendent of schools Thursday night.

Van William Riley, 61, replaces Leanne Masterjoseph, who resigned in June after 2½ years. He begins work Oct. 15.

"I'm delighted. It's a dream come true to be able to work in a community like Stonington," Riley said from his home in Montecito, Calif., Thursday night.

A native Californian, Riley said he and his wife had visited the Stonington-Mystic area on a number of occasions, so when the job became available he applied.

"It's just a beautiful place. The people are so outgoing. It seemed like a great place to live," he said.

Riley said he was also attracted by the opportunity to work in a smaller district that encompasses all grades.

"In smaller districts you get more involved in the schools and the community. You get to know the people, their needs and their desires," he said.

From 2003-11, Riley, oversaw a school district of 16,000 students in 10 schools, grades 9-12. For the past year he has been an educational consultant.

Huntington Beach is best know for its famous surfing pier and its nickname, Surf City.

Riley has spent his entire educational career in California and worked as a K-12 superintendent in Ojai and Carpinteria. Those two districts have student populations slightly larger than Stonington.

He also has worked as an assistant superintendent, principal, assistant principal and teacher along with a lecturer at University of California campuses in Santa Barbara and Irvine.

Riley was one of two finalists recommended by a search committee that the school board interviewed. He received the traditional three-year contract given to superintendents here. He will be paid $124,520 for the rest of the fiscal year that ends in June 2013.

On Thursday night, school board Chairwoman Gail MacDonald thanked the search committee, which whittled 19 total applicants down to the seven who were interviewed. "The most impressive thing was the pool of candidates," said board member Frank Todisco, who served on the search committee. "We had a lot of solid candidates, and Dr. Riley definitely stood out head and shoulders above everybody."

In a letter that MacDonald read to the audience, Riley said as superintendent, he'll strive "to provide an exceptional learning environment that ensures the success of each and every student."

"Dr. Riley can hit the ground running, and the entire community will be excited to have Dr. Riley," interim Superintendent Paul Smotas said.

After the unanimous vote for Riley's appointment, the crowd clapped and ate refreshments to "celebrate our new superintendent," MacDonald said.

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