Forest Ridge School District 142 has new leadership coming in at the beginning of the next school year, as current district Superintendent Dr. Margaret W. Longo is set to retire at the end of the current year.

At the district's Dec. 18 board of education meeting, the board voted to appoint Jack Hille Middle School Principal Dr. Courtney Orzel as the district's new superintendent as of July 1, 2013.

According to a letter that is posted on the district's website by board of education president Judith Schramm, the search process to replace Longo began in January of this 2012, when she announced her intentions to retire. The board then began the process of accepting applications and narrowing the field down to two finalists.

Orzel, whose educational background includes a Master of Arts in School Leadership from Concordia University, a Doctorate in Educational Organization and Leadership, and her Superintendent’s Endorsement from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, impressed during her interview with strong praise for the district and her ideas on where the district can go in the future.

“Throughout my career, I have worked with an outstanding team of professional educators and community members in order to provide equal access to a challenging curriculum for all students,” Orzel said, according to the press release.

Orzel will step into her new role as District 142 superintendent July 1, 2013.