The Saucon Valley School Board last month unanimously approved the hiring of Susan Mowrer-Benda as assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction.

Mowrer-Benda, a native of the Lehigh Valley, currently serves as the director of elementary education for Bensalem Township School District. She replaces outgoing former Assistant Superintendent Carl Adkinson, who resigned in the summer.

"It's really been a goal for me to come back home," she told the board.

Her tenure will begin Feb. 3 with the contract expiring June 30, 2019. The board approved her salary at $124,000 yearly.

Previously she served as principal at Roosevelt ES in the Allentown School District and taught and served in administrative roles in the Parkland School District.

Mowrer-Benda earned a doctorate in educational administration at Widener University. She also received a supervisory certificate from Lehigh University and a K-12 music education certificate from Moravian College. She earned her undergraduate degree in music from Moravian and a master's of music from the Eastman Music School.

During the meeting, the board also held its yearly reorganization meeting. Michael Karabin was re-elected president and Susan Baxter was re-elected vice president by fellow board members.