CANFIELD — As the newest member of the Canfield Board of Education, Nader Atway said he’s ready to move the district forward and help rebuild “the fractured relationship” between the schools and the community.

Atway was chosen Wednesday to fill a vacancy left by Craig Olson who resigned in December after former Superintendent Alex Geordan stepped down amid controversy over response to student threats.

Atway, a district sales manager for Amgen, a pharmaceutical company, was in California for work but attended the meeting via video link. When contacted by phone after the meeting, Atway said the selection process was thorough and well worth it.

The appointment was a unanimous board vote following an executive session and roundtable where the public questioned candidates in the high school auditorium. The board had previously narrowed the list of candidates from 23 to 5.

Other finalists were Matt Campbell, Jacquelyn Nohra Duda, Dr. Dianna Tolen Perrico and Kimberly Urig.

Board President Dave Wilkinson called the decision one of the most difficult he’s made because of the caliber of candidates.

“We couldn’t have gone wrong with any of them,” Wilkinson said.

Board member Traci DeCapua said Atway had previous board experience in the business world and cited his strengths as a manager, planner and recruiter as factors.

“We wanted to pick the piece that best fit our puzzle as a board,” she said.

In other news, Jenny Kluchar was sworn in during the meeting, filling a seat vacated by Phil Bova, who also resigned last month. Olson and Bova resigned when Geordan stepped down. Geordan was accused of downplaying a threat made in September by an 11-year-old male student to shoot another student in the back of the head.

Geordan had 3 1/2 years left on his contract and remains the “special assistant for transition” with no reduction in pay or benefits.

The board plans to get the ball rolling on a superintendent search later this month.

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