Preston ― School officials conducted a wide search for a new Preston Plains Middle School principal this spring before choosing a veteran teacher at the school for the job.

The Board of Education on Tuesday named Christopher Pickett, 39, of Portland as the new principal. He succeeds Ivy Davis-Tomczuk, who will retire in June after 26 years as a Preston teacher and administrator, 12 of those as the school principal.

For Davis-Tomczuk, Pickett is “absolutely the best choice” to lead the 125-student middle school. Davis-Tomczuk said she tagged English teacher Pickett as principal material as soon as she moved into that office.

Pickett on Thursday recalled getting a message from Davis-Tomczuk 12 years ago asking him to come to the office. He joked it felt like a flashback to student days, wondering if he had done something wrong.

It was the opposite, as Davis-Tomczuk asked if he had considered progressing in his career to become a school administrator. She wanted him to be her principal designee, taking the helm during her absences. Pickett said he always will appreciate Davis-Tomczuk’s encouragement, mentorship and confidence in his abilities.

During his tenure in Preston, Pickett has served as seventh and eighth grade English and language arts teacher, advisor for the school yearbook and newspaper, cross-country and track coach, athletic moderator, eighth grade advisor and guidance counselor and principal’s designee. He has served as interim principal since March. He also served stints as acting principal in 2016 and 2021. He also developed and implemented a summer learning program with Mystic Seaport.

“On my resume, it doesn’t say I’ve been a principal before, but I’ve had a lot of experience that’s put me in a place to really feel comfortable going into this role,” Pickett said Thursday.

“Chris has always been involved in decision making here,” Davis-Tomczuk said.

Superintendent Roy Seitsinger said in a news release on the appointment that the school district was assisted in the search by Mary Broderick of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education Search Services.

“We spread the net wide in our search for candidates and were grateful to have an excellent pool to choose from,” Seitsinger said in the announcement. “Mr. Pickett was the strongest contender in a great field.”

Pickett takes over as town plans to make changes to the middle school, moving central administrative offices out to make room for much-needed classroom space. Pickett said if the move takes place, the central office area could be converted into two classrooms, a music room and a “makerspace” room for hands-on activities.

Pickett credited Davis-Tomczuk for leading the school through one of the most challenging times in education, the COVID-19 shutdown, the abrupt switch to remote learning and the difficult transition for many students back to in-person school.

Davis-Tomczuk, 59, of Norwich, said she looks forward to joining her husband, Mark Davis-Tomczuk in retirement.

“We are getting ready to launch a boat,” Ivy Davis-Tomczuk said, “and for the first time ever, my boating season is not going to end at the beginning of August. I haven’t gotten much farther than that.”

c.bessette@theday.com