WEST BLOOMFIELD — The West Bloomfield School District announced this week it has hired Dr. Dania Bazzi to lead the district as its next superintendent.

The District said its Board of Education made the decision on Monday, in a united vote regarding the terms of Bazzi’s contract.

Bazzi is a public school superintendent offering more than 15 years of progressive leadership experience in teaching, learning and improving student success in diverse PreK-12 environments, said the District.

“I am extremely excited and humbled to join the West Bloomfield family,” Bazzi said. “I am eager to work alongside the strong community of educators within the district. Thank you to President Brickman, the Board of Education and the community for believing in me.”

Bazzi holds an M.A. in teaching, mathematics and social studies from the University of Michigan, an educational specialist degree in curriculum and instruction and a doctorate in philosophy, curriculum and instruction from Wayne State University.

She previously worked for the Ford Motor Company, but left to pursue her passion for mathematics and became a math teacher at John Glenn High School.

“After five years in the classroom, her love for numbers led her to Jackson County ISD as a school improvement data consultant,” said the District.

Her love for her job at ISD, however, and a need to see a more visible impact, led her to become director of teaching & learning for the Hamilton Community Schools. Shortly after, her desire to lead took her to the Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools to serve as its superintendent. She enjoyed her leadership role so much that after three years at the helm, she became the superintendent of the Ferndale Public Schools.

In her current role, Bazzi collaborates daily with district leaders in the Office of Academics and the Department of Business Operations to promote and advance the best instructional practices. She oversees and leads more than 350 staff and five bargaining units. She has successfully developed an equity vision statement, strategic plan and equity task force.

In addition to being the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators (MASA) 2022 Superintendent of the Year, Bazzi won the 2019 Equity Innovator Award from the Great Lakes Equity Center, the 2019 Innovative District Award from the International Center for Leadership in Education and the 2020 Whole Child Award from the Michigan ASCD.

Some of her achievement statistics include increasing resident and overall enrollment by 5 percent within two years, growing fund equity from 8 percent to 18 percent over three fiscal years and earning a “highly effective” top rating by the Board of Education for three consecutive years.

Bazzi and her husband, Zach, have two boys, Dan, who is 10-years-old, and Norman, who is 6-years-old.

Bazzi’s start date is July 1. However, she will begin working with the District’s strategic planning process beginning this week.