The Aspen School District Board has selected Tharyn Mulberry as its sole finalist for superintendent.
The decision was made without much fanfare, since Mulberry was the only applicant for the position. At the previous school board meeting on March 6, each board member commended Mulberry’s work in the district and his relationships with students and teachers.
The board decided they didn’t want to do a national search for his replacement since Mulberry was already a strong candidate. Board members also received hundreds of comments from community members recommending him for the position.
Mulberry, who currently serves as assistant superintendent, was selected as a finalist for the superintendent position in 2020, but the school board at the time hired David Baugh, instead. Baugh announced earlier this month that he’d be leaving the district June 30, 2024 to be the executive director of the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club.
Mulberry was also on the shortlist for the Roaring Fork School District’s superintendent position this winter, but withdrew his candidacy when the position in Aspen opened up. He has worked in the Aspen schools since 2015, first as Aspen High School’s principal and then as assistant superintendent in 2020.
Board President Christa Giezl said on March 6 that they didn’t need to waste money replicating the work these headhunters have already done.
“Along with the overwhelming support of his people, his employees, the people that work for him, that really says a lot about his interest in this job and his ability to perform this job and be ready for this job,” Giezl said.
Mulberry has also served as principal of two Pueblo, Colorado schools: Centennial High School and Heaton Middle School from 2007-2015.
At the March 6 board meeting, Mulberry was honored by the outpouring of support he received from colleagues and wants to build on the work that Baugh has done over the past four years.
“If I were to get the role, I’d want to continue all of the work that we’ve been doing as a leadership group with all of our academic work,” Mulberry said. “I’d also want to continue all of the work that Dr. Baugh has been doing on the financial side of the house to continue to improve employee housing opportunities, to get us in a fiscally responsible position as a district and just really start to get and push this place to be at its potential.”
The board has scheduled a meet and greet where Mulberry will connect with the community on April 1 at 4:30 p.m. Board members could take additional steps to hire Mulberry at their following meeting on April 3.
