Governor Matt Mead began interviewing the three candidates for the position of Director of the Wyoming Department of Education Monday. The governor said he was very pleased with the quality of the three candidates that were forwarded to him by the State Board of Education.  The governor said he plans to wrap up his interviews this week and wants to make a decision as soon as possible.

The candidates include:

Tony Apostle – A retired Superintendent of Puyallup Public Schools in Puyallup, WA. Apostle oversaw a district with 21,000 students and a budget of $230 million. Apostle holds his Education Doctorate from Washington State University. He was also the Director of Administrative Services and Elementary Education for Puyallup Schools.

Richard Crandall –Crandall holds an MBA from Notre Dame and is the CEO and CFO of CN Resources and Crandall Corporate Dietitians in Mesa, AZ. He is a current State Senator in Arizona and the past chair of the Arizona Senate and House Education Committees. He is also a former member of the Mesa Schools Governing Board.

Norman Ridder - Ridder is the current Superintendent of the Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, MO. Ridder oversees an enrollment of 24,876 students and a budget of $273 million. He holds his Education Doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is the former Superintendent of the Colorado Springs School District 11, during which he oversaw a district with an enrollment of 31,000.

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