FORT MYERS, Fla. — The school board of Lee County has picked Christopher Bernier to lead the district as superintendent.
Bernier's selection was made at a special action meeting Tuesday afternoon.
The board now immediately begins the process of contract negotiations.
If finalized, Bernier, currently chief of staff for the Clark County, Nev. district, will take over from Dr. Ken Savage, who has been interim superintendent since the June 2021 retirement of Greg Adkins.
Ahead of Tuesday's vote, the board held a meet-and-greet with Bernier and the other finalist in contention for the job, Denver-based educator Michael Ramirez.
Ramirez had been endorsed by the Lee County NAACP. In a statement this week, leadership wrote that Ramirez "will represent the diversity of the school district and should also work to diversify every area of the district where qualified applicants apply."
Bernier and Ramirez were the last two candidates from an initial pool of 41.
