The Hoover Board of Education has named interim superintendent Andy Craig to the superintendent position, after a five-month selection process.

Craig permanently takes the lead of a school system with more than 12,000 students and 16 schools, including three located in Shelby County.

Spain Park Principal Billy Broadway said he has a great working relationship with Craig and is happy to see him selected for the long term.

&8220;He&8217;s visited with us many times and knows what we do each day,&8221; Broadway said. &8220;I believe his plans will take Hoover School System to a higher level as far as academic achievement goes.&8221;

New superintendent, Andy Craig, started out his career as a CPA, after obtaining an accounting degree from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Craig&8217;s resume does not contain years of teaching but he has spent several years in school systems in a financial role.

Craig will have to prove himself in the academic world and plans to do so by creating positions to help him in areas he is less familiar with.

Craig was hired as the assistant superintendent of finance and business in 2001.

He went on shortly after that to obtain a Class A education administration certificate but didn&8217;t realize how soon it would be needed.

In June, Superintendent Connie Williams was fired and Craig took over, while the board searched for her replacement.

School board members whittled the field down to two candidates this month after eliminating Patricia Ragsdale, former director of schools for Cumberland County Schools in Tennessee.

Mark Edwards, the third candidate and director of business and development for a testing firm, made their decision even easier by taking his name out of the running.

Edwards announced he had taken a superintendent position in North Carolina instead.

Now that he has been selected Craig will continue the work he has been in charge of for several months now.

This work includes overseeing several schools that are technically located in Shelby County. Riverchase Elementary, Berry Middle and Spain Park High Schools are all in the Hoover City School System but located in Shelby County.

A contract still has to be drafted and signed to make Craig&8217;s appointment official.