WESTBROOK — The School Department has hired three new administrators for the upcoming school year.

John Dickerson has been hired as the new principal at Congin School, Pattie DeMaria is the new Westbrook Middle School assistant principal and Gary Groves is the district’s new athletic director. All three are expected to start work on July 1.

The new hires were approved June 14 by the School Committee. Superintendent Peter Lancia said he “can’t wait for them to get started.”

“I am so pleased that these fine educators will be moving to Westbrook,” Lancia said. “They are replacing equally fine educators, which is never easy, but they will soon make their own unique mark on our schools.”

Dickerson, of Freeport, has been the assistant principal at Hall Elementary School in Portland for the last three years. He will be replacing Janet Crawford, who is retiring, as the principal of Congin School.

“I’ve been looking to be a principal and when I saw the opening in Westbrook I was very excited,” he said.

There were 10 applicants for the position. Dickerson will be paid an annual salary of $99,254.

Dickerson said he’s attracted to the Westbrook School District because the demographics are similar to Portland and that diversity is “a valuable educational aspect.” He said in his first year he wants to get to know everyone in the school community.

“Building relationships is critical to doing the work and I want to build trust with students and families,” he said. 

Dickerson said he got started in education almost 20 years ago because he wanted to do work that would make the world a better place. He said he enjoys working in elementary education because he wants to “give kids the foundation to do the great thing they’re all capable of.”

To Dickerson, elementary school is about having fun, but it’s also about challenging kids “so they learn and grow.”

Lancia said he is “thrilled” Dickerson will be leading Congin School. 

“He is known for being student-centered and spends a great deal of time interacting with students and teachers right in their classrooms,” Lancia said. “He is anxious to get to know our community.”

DeMaria, of Portland, will be replacing Rhonda Fortin as one of the assistant principals at the middle school. There were 34 applicants for the position and DeMaria will receive an annual salary of $92,908.

Currently DeMaria is the director of alternative education for SAD 6. She said she’s always wanted to be a school administrator.

“What draws me to this is working directly with kids and helping them do the best they can,” she said. 

DeMaria said she loves working with middle school students because they’re at an age where they’re still curious.

“Middle school students come with that desire for learning,” she said. “They’re still open to learning new things and trying new things. They’re on that cusp.”

Additionally, DeMaria said, middle school students are at an age of great change in their lives.

“They’re really fun to work with and they’re growing and changing so much and you have the opportunity to impact that,” she said.

DeMaria has worked in education for 16 years and said she’s excited to take on the challenge of learning about a new school district. She said she’s looking forward to receiving input from parents about how to make the school better.

Lancia said DeMaria’s ability to connect with middle school-aged kids will make her a perfect fit for the role.

Groves, of Westbrook, will be replacing Michael Connolly as the district’s athletic director. He’s held the position in Westbrook once before, but only for one year in the mid-2000s. 

“As I come back into it I come with a vision for the department,” he said. “What I’m looking to do, especially in the first year, is to talk about where we’re going in the athletic department and to bring students, parents and coaches along so it’s a shared vision.”

The athletic director position received 28 applicants.

Groves, who will be paid an annual salary of $92,408, has worked as an athletic director for 12 years at five different schools. He started at Portland High School in 2000, then worked in Westbrook for one year, then at Deering High School, then in the Gray-New Gloucester district and then for the Scarborough school district.

Most recently, Groves has been the pastor of Orchard Community Church in Gorham, which he founded. He said he wanted to get back into athletic administration so he could positively influence students and coaches. 

“Athletics was very important to me (as a student) and ignited me to be successful in life,” he said. “I’m excited to connect with the kids and to be a part of helping them along in their way.”

Lancia said he appreciates the way Groves views athletics and the effect it can have on students’ lives.

“We are fortunate that Gary has decided to return to public education, and to do so in his own hometown of Westbrook,” he said. “He is a man of integrity, passion, and commitment. He certainly shares our commitment to developing the whole child.”

Kate Gardner can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 125 or kgardner@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter: @katevgardner.

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