The Lincoln Consolidated Board of Education voted Wednesday to offer its superintendent position to Ellen Bonter, the current superintendent of the Mason County Eastern School District.

Bonter will now enter into negotiations with a subcommittee of board members to work out details, and the completed contract will be brought back to the board for approval at a later meeting.

Bonter will replace current superintendent Lynne Cleary, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

Lincoln school board president Kim Samuelson said a report given to the board by members of a team who visited the Mason County Eastern School District convinced the board in Ypsilanti that Bonter should be the district’s next superintendent.

The site team consisted of two school board members, staff from all levels of the district, and members of the district’s community.

Ellen Bonter

“Without question her character came through,” Samuelson said of Bonter. “She is clearly perceived as a collaborative leader who is honest and ethical. She is able to create, build and sustain relationships, and as the site visitation team shared their perception and what they heard, it was clear that she’s the one for Lincoln.”

Bonter has been superintendent in Mason County Eastern for five years. She previously served as superintendent of the Vanderbilt Area Schools for six years.

Bonter was unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon.

Bonter has a teaching background, having been a social science, English and mathematics teacher in the Tacoma, Wash., public schools. She also taught for two years at the American International School in Lagos, Nigeria.

Additionally, she has taught in alternative education and served as an assistant principal at Gaylord High School.

Samuelson said there is no timetable for Bonter to take over at the district, emphasizing that first Bonter has to sign her new contract.

Samuelson said she had no doubt that the district had found the right match in Bonter and said Bonter’s reputation in Mason County makes her excited to have Bonter as Lincoln’s new superintendent.

“One of the comments someone made from the site visitation was, ‘You can’t coach that many people to deliver the same message,’” Samuelson said. “She’s just very highly regarded and respected, a consummate professional and has a great skill set.”

Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.