Ellen Dougherty will replace outgoing Superintendent Joe Condon, who has headed the Lawndale School District for 17 years.
The choice of Dougherty, who is currently assistant superintendent of educational services for the 6,200-student district, was announced at a board meeting Tuesday night. Her new position will become official at the next board meeting on July 13.
Dougherty came to Lawndale last summer after 21 years in the South Pasadena Unified School District. She said she was seeking a "strong superintendent" to learn from.
"I came down thinking I'd have a few years to learn from Joe," she said, laughing. "I fell in love with the community."
Condon said he was confident his successor would do a good job in the largely Latino district, which has seven elementary and two middle school campuses.
"She's got wonderful people skills. She's smart as a whip and she understands the culture of the organization. She'll be just fine," he said.
Note: Dougherty pronounces her last name "DOCK-ur-dee," a pronunciation that she said comes from her native Central Pennsylvania.
The district's press release follows.
