By Joseph Goral
Staff Writer
jgoral@mihomepaper.com
LAKE ORION — The Lake Orion Community Schools Board of Education selected Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Heidi Mercer to be the district’s new superintendent.
The 7-0 decision came on July 18 after the board completed five first-round interviews over the course of two evenings. Board members cited Mercer’s experience and familiarity with LOCS as a significant reason in forgoing finalist interviews, which would have taken place at the end of July, according to a timeline from the district.

Mercer has served a variety of roles in her 28 years with LOCS – including the last 16 overseeing district academics. Mercer has also overseen technology, student discipline, school administrators, special education, early childhood, English language learners and enrichment services.
“We eagerly anticipate working with Heidi in her new role and are confident that she will lead Lake Orion with vision, dedication, and excellence,” said school board President Danielle Bresett.
Mercer also led implementation of the district’s $160 million bond projects, and is “involved in every aspect of the process from design to construction to the completed product’s final details,” according a district news release.
“We look forward to continuing and building upon our tradition of Dragon excellence under the direction of our new Superintendent, Heidi Mercer,” said Lake Orion Interim Superintendent Adam Weldon. “Heidi has been a steadfast beacon of leadership for our school district and community for many years, and we are excited to have her at the helm as we move into our next chapter as a district.”
Mercer began her LOCS career as a middle school special education teacher before serving associate principal and principal roles in several schools.
On May 6, the Lake Orion Education Association’s executive board voted unanimously to endorse Mercer as LOCS’s next superintendent – a move then union president Jeff Faber called “highly unorthodox.”
The school board began the search process for a new superintendent after former Superintendent Ben Kirby announced he was seeking the superintendent’s position with the Forest Hills Public Schools in Grand Rapids.
In addition to Mercer, the board interviewed Meghan Ashkanani, director of teaching, learning and technology for the Berkley School District, and Catherine Kochanski, assistant superintendent of learning services at Walled Lake Consolidated Schools on July 17.
Clintondale Community Schools Superintendent Kenneth Janczarek and Todd Bidlack, Bloomfield Hills Schools assistant superintendent of learning services, were interviewed on July 18.
“On behalf of Lake Orion Community Schools, I want to say thank you to our board of education and to Shawn Lewis-Lakin, our search consultant from MASB,” said Weldon. “We appreciate the hard work, energy, and time put into the superintendent search process by each of them and are very grateful for their role in selecting the next leader for Lake Orion Community Schools.”