The TK Board of Education interviewed McCarthy for the superintendent position Monday. Matt Powers, President of the Board of Education described McCarthy as a “calculated and polished leader.”
The board unanimously approved McCarthy as the next superintendent for the district.
“Since September, he (McCarthy) has taken the leadership role at Thornapple Kellogg Schools and added a sense of calm and control immediately. He is a great listener and makes level headed decisions,” said Powers. “I truly appreciate how he assesses all of the information, communicates with stakeholders and takes swift action moving forward. I am looking forward to the progress Thornapple Kellogg Schools will make under the leadership of Craig McCarthy.
McCarthy was hired by TK in 2018 as the assistant superintendent working with Rob Blitchok who was named superintendent that year. Including his years at TK, McCarthy has 29 years of experience in education. He served 14 years as a business service technologies teacher for the Kent Career/Technical Center, was an assistant superintendent at Northview Public Schools for nine years and then a director of business operations at Cadillac Area Schools.
His career also includes professional experience as an accountant with a firm in Southfield and later with Spartan Stores in Grand Rapids.
McCarthy earned an associate's degree from Grand Rapids Community College, then a bachelor's degree in accounting from Michigan State University. He completed his secondary teaching certificate and vocational teaching certificate at Aquinas College, certifying him for accounting and business administration for grades nine through 12. He has successfully completed the National Certified Public Accounting exam.
In 1998 he earned his master's degree from Western Michigan University. He has former experience with the KISD serving as the chairperson for the Kent Intermediate Education Association bargaining committee and the former chief strategist for the KIEA negotiations team. He has also served as a chairperson for the West Michigan Workers Compensation Fund.