Cd'A school district hires chief operating officer

The Coeur d'Alene School District has hired Wendell Wardell as its chief operating officer.

Wardell's first day with the district will be May 31.

“We are thrilled to have found a person who has the depth and breadth of experience in both the private and public sector to bring a fresh set of eyes to the finance and operations of the district,” said Superintendent Hazel Bauman in a prepared statement.

The district’s chief operating officer position is not a new one. It replaces the chief financial officer position that has been vacant since November when Steve Briggs retired.

The position's new title better reflects the responsibilities of the job than its previous chief financial officer designation, said school district spokeswoman, Laura Rumpler.

The district's former CFO, Steve Briggs, managed some district operations as well as finance, and Wardell will do the same, Rumpler said. The position oversees the school district's transportation and nutrition services departments.

Wardell's salary will be $105,000 per year.

Wardell  served as the business and finance manager of the Community Library Network in North Idaho for the past 12 years. Prior professional experience includes president/CEO of Bromar Arizona and Montana, a food brokerage company, and service in the United States Air Force.

From 1983 to 1986, Wardell served as a school district trustee for the Billings School District #2, playing a leadership role as the vice-chairman of finance.

Wardell was also part of the business and community financial advisory committee Bauman convened in 2008 in the early days of her superintendency.