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A spokesperson for the Macon County Board of Education said Willie Thomas has accepted the superintendent position and will start work July 1.

"He had a good reputation in the Troy system. He had a strong financial background. He had been over federal programs. He was just very familiar with all the aspects of the education system.

"His credentials and references were just excellent," said Katy Campbell, president of the Macon County Board of Education.

Thomas met with board members last week to arrange a contract that was agreed upon Tuesday night.

The product of the negotiation was a four-year contract that grants Thomas $87,000 salary, expense allowance, 5 percent annuity and the county will pay his life insurance premium.

Thomas was unavailable for comment after he accepted the offer. But, he

told The Messenger Saturday he plans to continue living in Pike County and will not resign his seat as Pike County Commissioner for District 1.

Thomas will be replacing Clima White, who had been an interim superintendent for three years.

White left the board because he was ready to return to his hometown, Auburn, according to Campbell.

Thomas has been assistant superintendent of the Troy City School System for the past 11 years.

Thomas said he was asked to apply for the Macon County position and that his decision to pursue that job did not indicate he is unsatisfied with the Troy City assistant’s job. "I’m not disgruntled or anything like that," he said. "As many years as I’ve put in here … you’ve got to have feelings for it."

Others considered for the position were Joseph Dantzler, former superintendent of the Greene County Public School System; Sidney Brown of Alabama State University, Lois Johnson of the Montgomery County Board of Education and JoAnn Sumbry of the Macon County Board of Education.

There were a total of 15 applicants for the position.