NASHUA — Career educator Stephen Linkous, the chief of staff for the Kansas City, Kansas public school system, has been selected Nashua’s next superintendent of schools following what school officials called “an extremely comprehensive” search that included reviewing some 3,000 leadership surveys submitted by the public.

Linkous, a bilingual man whose family is of Mexican descent, according to a question-and-answer interview posted on the website of Kansas City TV station KSHB, assumes his new post on July 1, Board of Education president Jennifer Bishop said Tuesday.

Linkous succeeds interim superintendent Garth McKinney, who served the district in that capacity for the past year.

In response to the offer and his subsequent selection, Linkous said he is “extremely excited to have been selected as the next superintendent of the Nashua School District.

“I believe we have a great staff, community, Board of Education, and most importantly, great students,” Linkous added.

He said he “looks forward to listening, collaborating, learning, and leading as we continue the excellent work in many areas, and as we create excellence in others.

“I look forward to becoming a member of the Nashua community very soon,” he added.

Regarding the search, Bishop, the BOE president, said the input received in the 3,000 leadership surveys “clearly identified what our community is looking for in our superintendent.

“Nashua is an excellent place to live, and we deserve an excellent leader, which is exactly what I believe we have found,” Bishop said.

A native of Fort Knox, Kentucky, Linkous was raised in Denver, and began his career in education as a teacher before joining the Kansas City school district and working his way up to the chief of staff position.

Bishop, meanwhile, extended the board’s gratitude to McKinney for his service as interim superintendent.

Board members are “particularly grateful” to McKinney for “his hard work and dedication to the students and staff this last year as our interim superintendent,” she said.

“For the last year, Dr. McKinney has led the district as we navigated the complex issues associated with Covid, remote and hybrid learning, and the eventual full return to school.

“We all wish Dr. McKinney well in his future work and continued success in all that he does,” Bishop added.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.