Guilford School Board Appoints New Assistant Superintendent

GUILFORD, CT — The Guilford Board of Education on Monday night unanimously voted to appoint Baldwin Middle School Principal Doug Hammel to the position of assistant superintendent of operations, effective July 1, 2025.

The vacancy opened up after current Assistant Superintendent Jason Beaudin announced in October his plans to retire at the end of the school year.

Superintendent of Guilford Public Schools Dr. Paul Freeman told the school board Monday that Hammel will remain in his current role at BMS through the end of the school year, but he will be attending cabinet meetings with Beaudin as part of a transition process.

Hammel's career in education spans 28 years, including the last 10 as the leader of BMS.

Prior to shifting his career to education, Hammel was in the business field and worked at a consulting firm in New York City and as a contract administrator for a financially focused manufacturing company in Connecticut.

"His most important qualification as I bring him forward to the board tonight is that for the last 10 years, he has been the successful principal of Baldwin Middle School," Freeman said, noting that every student who has passed through the school district in the last decade knows Hammel.

"The parent community knows Doug, respects his work, and trusts Doug, and the kids like him, too. He has been a fixture in Guilford Public Schools for the last 10 years. I am honored to bring Doug forward tonight and to ask the board to approve him in the position of assistant superintendent moving forward," Freeman added.

The school district advertised the job opening internally, Freeman said, and interviews were conducted in recent months.

"There was no need to search outside," Freeman said.

Hammel was asked by the board what intrigues him about the operations side.

"We're in a people business, and I think education in general is a people business. You have to be really good at building relationships. I think the way to earn trust is through transparency. Some of that comes through what processes and procedures you put in place, the relationships you make with the people you work with, the families you serve and the community you serve," Hammel said.

"I've always had an interest in the human resources aspect of a business because I think it's so important. I also happen to think it's one of my strengths... This position is the one that makes the most sense for me to best serve the community."

Freeman said the school district will post the BMS principal opening before winter break, and the search process will begin when school resumes in January.

"We expect to have a really strong field of candidates who are looking to succeed Mr. Hammel as the principal at Baldwin Middle School. It's a really good school in a premier school district. We're going to get really good applications for that principalship," Freeman said.

Hammel thanked the board after he received a unanimous vote.

"I'm looking forward to the work," he said.