After one year with the School District of the Chathams, Dennis Fyffe will step down as interim superintendent and into retirement.

During the school board meeting Monday, Tom Belding, the president of the Board of Education, congratulated and thanked Fyffe for his years of service, which included six interim positions.

"This has been a very good place to finish what has been a very good career," Fifee said of Chatham. "Virtually everbody I've dealt with has been great," he said, and "I've never felt, any time this year, 'I can't wait to get to the last day.'"

Fyffe was hired in 2011 to replace outgoing superintendent James O'Neill. Part of his job was to mentor and groom Assistant Superintendent Michael LaSusa to take his place, which he will do effective July 1.

"I'm ending in the best job within in a 42-year career," Fyffe said.

Fyffe, 65, came to Chatham after two years as interim superintendent in Stanhope. During the 2009-10 academic year, Stanhope shared his services with Netcong.

Fyffe started his career as a student-teacher in South Brunswick and then as a teacher in a Head Start Day Care program in New Brunswick. After teaching at the Milton School in Millburn, he was hired as an English teacher at South Brunswick High School and in 1974 moved into an administrative position for the district, pursuing grants and operating grant-funded programs. From there his career took him into several administrative positions.

He lived in Summit for seven years while working as an assistant principal at Summit High School.

Also at the meeting:

• The board approved David Mimnaugh as an assistant soccer coach for the fall at a salary of $5,855. The agenda does not specify boys or girls soccer. Mimnaugh has not previously coached in the district.
• The board approved Mimnaugh, along with Wayne Ross and Eileen Booth, as emergent hires. Booth was also approved as a bedside instructor effective July 1 through June 30, 2013.
• The board approved contracts for several non-tenured certified staff: Jennifer Duran at Lafayette Avenue School; Chuan-Ying Yang at Chatham Middle School; Kimberly McMurray at Milton Avenue School; Stephanie Pace at Southern Boulevard School; and Laura Piccola at Southern Boulevard School.
• The baord approved maternity leave for Sue Pinto of Milton Avenue School, Oct. 15 through Nov. 28 with pay and Nov. 29 through March 3, 2013 without pay, and for Carolanne Carty of Washington Avenue School, Oct. 22 through Dec. 11 with pay and Dec. 12 through March 8, 2013 without pay.
• The board approved Michelle Guerriero as a leave replacement teacher at Washington Avenue School for the Special Education department.
• The board approved several teachers and paraprofessionals for the Extended School Year program throughout the summer.
• The board approved Christina Messina and Margaret Callahan as summer workers.
• The board approved Dr. Kimberly Vogt as a summer behaviorist at the rate of $75 an hour, not to exceed $4,200 over the summer.
• The board approved Kathy Ploshy as a Speech and Language Therapist for the months of July and August at a rate of $75 an hour, not to exceed $750 over the two-month period, and at a rate of $53 an hour, not to exceed $24,210, for the period from Sept. 1 through June 30, 2013.