By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
Brandon Twp.- During the regular meeting on Monday night, the board of education voted 7-0 to approve the hiring of Dr. Gary Richards as interim superintendent for the Brandon School District beginning Jan. 27 and ending June 30, 2022.
“He comes to us highly qualified and experienced,” said board president Diane Salter.
The move comes after the departure of previous interim superintendent Dr. Karl Heidrich in December. Since then and until Richards starts, the acting superintended has been high school principal Dan Stevens.
“The only comment I’ll make is to thank Dan once again, as we all have many times over,” said board member Lisa Kavalhuna. “You’ve created an atmosphere that will allow for Dr. Richards to join us. I think that he is coming into this school district better having had you in the position you were in.”
Richards was previously the superintendent of both Imlay City schools and Dryden school district, earning the award of Imlay City Citizen of the Year for his work in the school district.

He retired from his position as dual superintendent for both districts in 2016. He was superintendent for Imlay City for 10 years, and took on Dryden for three of those years.
The search for a permanent superintendent is still underway, as Richards is only contracted through June of this year.
“Our district is in the process of starting the search process for a permanent superintendent to lead our school district starting in July of 2022,” said Salter. “It is our goal to retain a qualified, motivated and passionate person who will fit the needs and the core values of our Brandon school district and community.”