By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer

MASON - Barbara Crist helped interview and hire nearly 300 teachers during more than four years as Mason City Schools' assistant superintendent. She still remembers everyone's names when she walks though the school. But Monday, Ms. Crist, former executive director of instruction at Winton Woods, said farewell to the district that she saw grow by about 2,600 students.

She'll be taking vacation from now until her official last day, Dec. 31.

"I'm not really saying goodbye," she said. "I'm just saying, for now, I'll see you later."

Taking her place is Sonia Milrod, the former director of instruction at Campbell County Schools in Northern Kentucky.

Ms. Milrod was hired as the district's assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction in August, and earns $94,497 annually.

Ms. Crist's immediate plans include some travel and spending time with family, including her three grandchildren.

She is considering becoming an educational consultant or teaching administration and curriculum courses at the university level.

Ms. Crist took the job vacated by Kevin Bright when he became superintendent.

"She was a major contributor in the effort that achieved for the district an effective rating for four years in a row," Mr. Bright said.

Her successor, Ms. Milrod, holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California at Los Angeles and a master's degree in education from the University of Louisville. She also has done post-graduate work at Xavier University.

Before coming to Mason, Ms. Milrod was at Northern Kentucky's Campbell County Schools, where she supervised instructional programming and helped train and lead school planning teams.

Before that, she was a regional technology coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Education. The former English teacher also worked for Jefferson County Public Schools and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com