Catania, of Saranac Lake, plans to retire at the end of this school year after a 37-year career in public education. Seymour, a Malone resident, was announced the top pick to replace Catania on Thursday, May 20.

The school board plans to appoint Seymour to the job on June 1.

“We had some excellent candidates to consider, and this was a tough decision, but we feel it’s the right choice to grow and strengthen our district in this important moment for education,” school board President Rick Preston wrote in a statement.

Seymour, 37, has been the superintendent of the St. Regis Falls Central School District since 2019, according to a news release from LPCSD and Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES. Before that, he was the principal and program director of Northern Borders Academy and P-TECH. He previously had some administrative experience in Chateaugay, and he worked as a social studies teacher for nine years.

Seymour went to high school at Franklin Academy in Malone and graduated as part of the Class of 2002. He received a master’s degree in teaching social studies from SUNY Potsdam and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

“I am attracted to the Lake Placid community and school for many reasons,” Seymour wrote in an email to the News, when asked why he decided to apply for Lake Placid’s superintendent job. “My wife and I both have family members who already reside in the district. Additionally, we enjoy outdoor activities and want to live in a place where we can routinely experience this lifestyle with our three-year-old son.

“I am excited to work with the shareholders in the district to create unique partnerships with area businesses and organizations to enhance the overall student experience,” he added. “I am also passionate about community building and increasing school-community involvement. I am excited to be an active participant in the Lake Placid community, where I intend to both work and reside.”

Seymour said he’s looking forward to working with “the talented and compassionate educators at Lake Placid Central School District to channel the excitement that will come from the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“I believe that we are on the cusp of a renaissance of participation, active learning, collaboration, and experimentation in the field of education,” he said. “I look forward to hearing directly from students and families about their hopes and dreams for this new and hopeful future. I envision the Lake Placid Central School District acting as a leader in our state and region, particularly when it comes to addressing the effects of the pandemic on our students’ social, emotional, and intellectual development.”

Seymour was chosen from a field of 30 candidates who applied for the job. Of those, six were given a first-round interview. Three were named finalists for the role last month, but one of those finalists, Margaret Wright, dropped out of the running before her final interview. The other finalist was Dana Wood, who is currently working at Lake Placid Central School District as its assistant superintendent for business. Wood was the former principal of the high school and before that a social studies teacher in Saranac Lake.

The current superintendent, Catania, submitted a letter announcing his retirement to the Lake Placid Board of Education in February. He worked at Lake Placid High School as a counselor for several years before he was the school’s superintendent, but his long career in public education also included a stint as a professor at Alfred University, and other teaching and counselor jobs at Gilchrist High School and the J.B. Thomas Junior High School in Oregon.

Catania has served as Lake Placid’s superintendent since 2013.