Clear Creek Amana superintendent heading to AEA post

Clear Creek Amana Superintendent Paula Vincent is the new chief administrator for Heartland Area Education Agency.

Vincent's last day at with the district is June 30.

Vincent is the second Eastern Iowa superintendent in as many months to be named an AEA chief administrator. In December, Iowa City Superintendent Lane Plugge accepted a job as chief administrator of the new Green Hills Area Education Agency in Council Bluffs.

“We are absolutely delighted to have Paula,” said Ann Wilson of Carroll, president of the Heartland AEA board of directors. “She's had varied experience. She's an extremely intelligent woman. She's handled people well, building a team that works well together.”

Vincent is in her sixth year as superintendent for Clear Creek Amana. The district is one of the fastest growing in Eastern Iowa, with schools in Tiffin, Oxford, North Liberty and Amana.

Vincent was previously the associate superintendent of the Cedar Rapids school district, a director of special education at Grant Wood AEA and a classroom teacher in suburban Kansas City and rural Iowa.

“You just can't have a bad day being around children,” she said.

Vincent said she will miss daily interaction with students, but looks forward to making decisions that will help more students succeed.

“I think it's a tremendous time for the AEA structure to contribute to the education structure of students in Iowa,” she said.

AEAs are regional agencies that provide services to local school systems. Heartland AEA, with its main office in Johnston, a Des Moines suburb, has the largest student enrollment of Iowa's 10 area education agencies. The agency serves 54 public school districts and 29 state-accredited non-public schools.

As Heartland's chief administrator, Vincent will oversee nearly 700 full- and part-time staff members who provide educational services and programs for 133,000 students and 12,000 educators in central Iowa. She also will oversee 360 employees who serve a 15-county area in southwest Iowa that includes 51 school districts.

Heartland is still negotiating Vincent's three year contract. She earned $141,000 as Clear Creek Amana superintendent in 2008-09. Sheila King, Heartland's interim chief administrator, makes $165,000.