Lake Bluff School District 65 Hires Interim Superintendent

Ben Martindale has been down this road before, and he likes what he sees.

The former superintendent of Gurnee District 56 for nearly 20 years has been hired to serve as interim superintendent for after the Board of Education vote Tuesday night.

"I like the interim position," Martindale said.

Martindale will begin July 1, replacing John Asplund, who tendered his resignation in late May to take a superintendent position with the in central Illinois. His last day with District 65 is June 30.

Martindale spent last year serving as interim superintendent for North Chicago District 187. He also was superintendent of Round Lake District 116 for three years after leaving Gurnee.

But he believes his experience in Gurnee will relate best to his position in Lake Bluff.

"I see my role as working with the board and keeping things moving along, and not lose ground," Martindale said. "If there are issues that need to be dealt with, you deal with it."

Martindale's contract is for 100 school days.

Board of Education President Mary Jane Brady said the board felt lucky to find someone of Martindale's background in what amounted to less than a month since Asplund's resignation.

"He is so well respected in the field of education, and we're very happy to have him on our administrative team," Brady said. "I was blown away that we could find someone with his credentials against such a short time schedule."

Brady believes Martindale's experience will come in handy in the assimilation of a , Shelley Overman, fiscal issues and curriculum ideas. "He will be a good adviser to us," she said.

Brady said the board will begin the search for a new superintendent after school starts in September, and that a successor to Asplund will begin in July 2012.

"I can help the board in their search for a new superintendent in whatever role they want me to," Martindale said.

Martindale has spent much of his life in northern Lake County, including a stint as president of the Lake County Superintendents Association.

He works as a national educational consultant for the Rapides Foundation in Alexandria, La., serves on the executive board for United Way of Lake County and sits on the School Board for St. Patrick's School in Wadsworth.

Martindale resides in Wadsworth with his wife, Astrid. They have three grown children.