Either of Evergreen Public Schools’ superintendent finalists would become the district’s first female superintendent.
One of the two finalists holds the role on an interim basis. The other led Hawaii’s school system.
Evergreen has been in search of a superintendent since John Boyd retired in June after two years in the job. He began serving as Evergreen’s interim superintendent in February 2022 before being hired for the permanent position the following year.
In July, the district’s board members appointed Christine Moloney as the interim superintendent to replace Boyd.
Moloney’s experience reaches beyond Vancouver. She was the former superintendent of the Chehalis School District for four years. The Chehalis district, with 3,000 students, is much smaller than Evergreen, which has almost 22,000 students.
Moloney also has several years of experience as a principal, classroom teacher and district administrator in Puyallup and Bethel.
Under Moloney’s leadership, Evergreen passed both its levies Feb. 11. She’s responded to special education needs and systematic improvements, according to a biography cited in the district’s news release.
Moloney has earned a Fulbright-Hays scholarship from the U.S. Department of Education, President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching from the City University of Seattle and Student Achievement Leadership Award from the state’s Association of School Administrators, according to her biography.
The other candidate is Christina Kishimoto, former Hawaii State Department of Education superintendent from 2017 to 2021. Kishimoto’s leadership experience includes serving as superintendent of school districts in Connecticut and Arizona.
Now, as a Vancouver resident, Kishimoto is the founder of Voice4Equity, an organization advocating for women and leaders of color. She also teaches courses on race, power and leadership at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education, according to her biography.
Additionally, Kishimoto is a 2025 Pahara Fellow with the Pahara Institute, a national program identifying and supporting leaders who ensure that all children have access to public education, her biography states.
The finalists will participate in a public meet-and-greet from 5:30 to 7 p.m. March 12 in the board room at the Administrative Service Center, 13413 N.E. LeRoy Haagen Memorial Drive. The community can ask the candidates questions and provide feedback to the board. Spanish and Russian interpreters will be available.
The final superintendent decision will be announced at the March 25 meeting, and the new superintendent will step into the position July 1.
