A respected educator with over 20 years of experience — and more than half of that with the Park City School District — has been named as its new superintendent.
Lyndsay Huntsman, the director of the Career Technical Education and Park City Centers for Advanced Professional Studies programs, was unanimously approved by the school board to take over the helm of the school district. Her leadership comes about five months after the previous superintendent, Jill Gildea, “retired.”
“I’m honored and humbled to stand, or sit, for you as the new superintendent of this amazing school district. Having had the privilege of working here for many years, I’ve witnessed first hand the strength, resilience and dedication of our students, staff, families and community,” Huntsman said during a special board meeting on Wednesday. “This moment is not just a milestone in my career. It’s a renewed commitment to the important work we do together.”
Having spent 13 years as a teacher and administrator in the school district, Huntsman said pursuing the superintendent position was the next logical step in her career path. Her priorities focus on fostering open communication, building and strengthening relationships, tackling challenges, and creating meaningful opportunities to empower students.
Board President Meredith Reed and Vice President Nick Hill said in an interview that’s why Huntsman was a frontrunner for the position from an early stage. The school board launched a survey to collect community feedback for the superintendent search and began considering internal candidates.
The survey results made it clear to the Park City Board of Education that the community wanted someone rooted here, and Hill said the district was lucky enough to have Huntsman. She’s had a wide range of experience working across four school districts in Utah from inside the classroom to various leadership positions.
Huntsman has also been instrumental in leading CTE efforts in Park City schools and the school realignment process. She was praised as a knowledgeable, innovative educator with an “unwavering commitment to students.” School board members emphasized that’s the type of mindset the district needs to continue its mission.
Interim Superintendent Caleb Fine, who was appointed to the role in September when Gildea announced her departure, was also recognized for his “invaluable contributions.” He and Huntsman shared a hug after she took the Oath of Office, and Fine told her she was going to do awesome. In an interview, Fine said he was happy with the direction the district is heading.
Huntsman was raised outside of Atlanta, Georgia, and moved to Iowa to attend William Penn University. She also earned degrees from Weber State University, and Southern Utah University and is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational leadership at Texas Tech University.
The new superintendent’s career began as a teacher in the Weber and Morgan County school districts. She started at Park City in 2009, and went on to serve as the assistant principal of Park City High School and principal of the Learning Center before becoming the CTE director. She now lives in the Heber Valley with her two young daughters.
From working in the classroom, Huntsman learned that communication and relationship-building are the most critical skills for effective leadership, she said.
“If you don’t have relationships with people, it is hard to do the work. And we’re in the human business, right? We’re all human. We’re going to make mistakes, but we can have grace and come back together and move forward in a positive direction,” she said.
It’s also important for Huntsman that the community knows she is approachable and always willing to talk about the issues.
She’s prioritized growth throughout her career, and that’s exactly what Huntsman plans to do in the school district. She recognized the realignment of schools as a big project with big changes for students, and families, and also emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility, particularly with declining enrollment.
“I want to get us to a place where we are the model public K-12 institution. We have the people and we have the resources to do that. And I’d like to be the one who leads us and takes us there,” Huntsman said.
The Park City Board of Education agrees Huntsman is more than qualified to do it. She’ll collaborate with Fine during a transition period to ensure the change is seamless. Fine isn’t sure what’s next for him after that, but it will likely be another leadership role within the Park City School District.
“Let’s get to work,” Huntsman said.
Gildea remained on the school district payroll until Friday.