The Duval County (Florida) district has selected Christopher Bernier to be its next superintendent.
Bernier is expected to take the reins in the Jacksonville-based school district in July. He will replace Dana Kriznar, who has been interim superintendent since Diana Greene retired as superintendent a year ago.
Duval County is the sixth-largest school system in Florida with about 129,000 students.
Bernier had been superintendent of the Lee County (Florida) district for less than two years when he announced in April that he was stepping down. The Florida Times-Union reports that voters in Lee County voted to make the superintendent's job an elected position, and Bernier did not want to run for office later this year.
Board picked Bernier over Daniel Smith, chief of staff for Loudoun County (Virginia) district.
Before his stint in Lee County, Bernier served as chief of staff for the Clark County (Nevada) School District and as an associate superintendent in the Orange County (Florida) district.
"I look forward to engaging with all stakeholders, not only to identify solutions to current issues, but also to continue growing and maximizing student achievement," Bernier said.
Earlier this year, Bernier was named a finalist for the superintendent's job in the Washoe County (Nevada) district, but subsequently withdrew to concentrate on seeking the job in Duval County.
