Next school year, Globe Unified School District will have its first female superintendent.

In an end-of-January district governing board meeting, the district chose Deputy Superintendent/Human Resources Manager Dr. Christa DalMolin East from three final candidates to be its next superintendent. The board announced her selection, which was unanimous, after a 1½-hour executive session. She will succeed current superintendent Jerry Jennex, who is retiring effective June 30, 2024.

A Globe resident from a family with deep roots in the area, DalMolin East has worked in human resources at Freeport McMoRan and taught agricultural science at a New York high school and Iowa State University. She earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Arizona, and her doctorate from the American College of Education.

Immediately before the Jan. 29 board meeting, the trio of candidates – selected from 12 applicants – took part in a public forum where they answered a series of community questions. The other two finalists were Dr. Joseph Farnsworth, principal of a high school in Texas, and Mark Gorman, a Miami High School graduate and current principal at Wickenburg High School. Farnsworth said during the forum that the board had picked “three great candidates.”

At the forum, DalMolin East said her current position “has given me so many opportunities that I’m thankful for.” She added that she was “fully vested in our district. I know our positives and some of the challenges we have.”

On the question of bringing in and keeping highly qualified teachers, she said Globe should strive to be “a district where people want to be” and make sure current teachers are heard. DalMolin East also said the district needs to continue its career and technical education program, work closely with the Cobre Valley Institute of Technology and partner with parents.

“We have to focus on success for all students, listen to students and make sure instructional moments are sacred – minimize disruptions and interruptions,” she said.

In a press release announcing the selection, Governing Board President Jacque Sanders said DalMolin East had “worked for our district for the last 8½ years showing her commitment, leadership abilities, and care for staff, students and community, as well as her desire to move the district forward with a focus on success for all students. We believe that she is the best choice to lead our district and are thrilled to hire a qualified alumna as the next superintendent.”