Former Unalaska City School District Superintendent Kim Hanisch will assume the head of Cordova schools this coming summer.
The Cordova School District Board of Education announced Tuesday members had unanimously voted for Hanisch to take them helm after she and two other finalists met with the Cordova community over the weekend.
Hanisch said in a statement that she’s honored to assume the head of schools in Cordova.
“Cordova’s dedicated staff and motivated students are a real point of pride,” she said. “I’m excited and humbled to be trusted with leading a district that is already doing strong work and has a clear vision for the future.”
Hanisch is coming from the Aleutian chain, where she announced her resignation in Unalaska for personal reasons in November after two years at that district. The educator was also a finalist for the open Kodiak Island Borough School District superintendent position.
She is still the superintendent in Unalaska through the end of this school year.
Before her time in there, Hanisch was also an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Southeast. She has a bachelor’s in biology and physical education from Chadron State College in Nebraska, as well as a master’s in biology from Bemidji State University in Minnesota.
Hanisch is taking over for longtime Cordova schools Superintendent Alex Russin, who announced this past July he’d be retiring after the 2025-2026 school year. The former Unalaska superintendent was up against Cordova Jr./Sr. High School Principal Paul Tancrede for the role. The third finalist, Oklahoma-based educator Clayton Vaughn, withdrew, according to the district.
Hanisch thanked Russin and the entire Cordova community for participating in her hiring process.
“I look forward to working alongside students, staff, families, and community partners as we build on that success together,” she said.
Update: This story was updated on Jan. 21 with information about the finalists and Hanisch’s tenure in Unalaska.
