Broward School Board names Dr. Peter Licata as new superintendent
FORT LAUDERDALE - The Broward County School Board voted 7-2 Thursday to name a Palm Beach school administrator as its new superintendent.
Dr. Peter Licata, currently an assistant superintendent in Palm Beach County and a Broward native, was named to replace former schools chief Dr. Vicky Cartwright. In the role, he will preside over the sixth largest school district in the country.
The effort to oust Cartwright began last year when several school board members had challenged her, citing dissatisfaction with her leadership style.
The Broward County voted in February to hire the search firm of McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C to find a new schools chief and implemented a search process to name its new schools chief.
The search firm came forward with a list of candidates that didn't excite board members, who amended their search timetable in order to add more applicants to the list.
Licata was named a finalist late last month and was competing against two other finalists for the role including Luis Solano, who is deputy superintendent of schools in Detroit and was a former high school principal for Miami-Dade and Dr. Sito Narcisse, a school superintendent in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana who emigrated with his parents from Haiti.
According to the Palm Beach schools website, Licata is currently serving as the regional superintendent of the South Region, where he oversees 59 schools.
He has served as assistant superintendent of Choice and Innovation, Director of Curriculum, Charter Schools, Alternative Education, Accountability, Choice Programs, International Baccalaureate Programs, and Career and Technical Education.
Prior to joining the central office, he served as the Principal of Olympic Heights High School and Boca Raton Community Middle School in Palm Beach County.
Licata received his BA in Business Administration and Political Science at the University of Miami and his MS in Educational Leadership from Barry University, according to his online bio.
He earned his Ph.D. in Global Leadership from Lynn University with a focus on Preparing Students for the 21st Century Workforce.
He also works as an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, where he teaches courses preparing future school administrators.
He and his wife are both native South Floridians as are their four children and one grandchild, according to his bio.
