PROSPECT — Region 16 Business Manager Hugh Potter will be leaving the job this summer.
Potter, who has been the business manager in the school district for more than two years, first as interim and then in his present capacity, submitted a resignation letter to the district last Friday. Region 16 serves Beacon Falls and Prospect schools.
“It has been my honor and a pleasure to work for the Board of Education and the townspeople of Beacon Falls and Prospect over the past 29 months,” Potter wrote in his resignation letter.
Potter states in the letter he will not be pursuing renewal of his contract and he plans to resign on or before Aug. 15 in order to provide time for the board to find his replacement.
“I will ensure that there is a seamless transition for your new business manager once he is onboard,” Potter wrote.
Interim Superintendent of Schools Tim James said Potter’s choice to leave was purely his decision.
“His service, his enthusiasm and the way he goes about his job will be missed,” James said.
The board accepted Potter’s resignation at a special meeting Wednesday night.
Potter said it’s been great working for the board, but it’s time to move on.
In an interview prior to the board meeting, Board of Education Chair Priscilla Cretella said she had a long conversation with Potter last month, in which he told her that he was contemplating leaving the district. Cretella said Potter has been helpful to the district.
Potter is paid $116,303 a year, which includes a $3,000 annuity.
Potter replaced Richard Gusenburg, the former principal of Long Meadow Elementary School in Middlebury. Gusenburg was in the post for less than six months and resigned in December 2009.
School officials previously had said Potter was one of the finalists from a previous pool of applicants for the business manager job when former Business Manager William Stowell retired in 2009.
Before joining the district, Potter worked as a director of data center operations with more than 17 years of experience managing large-scale computing facilities.
“It’s a real loss to the district,” James said about Potter’s resignation. “We wish him well, and we hope he finds employment that suits his best skills.”
