Lake Superior State University's board of trustees appointed retired Sault Area Public Schools Superintendent Tony McLain Ph.D. as interim president during a special meeting today.

His appointment takes effect immediately.

The board was unanimous in the appointment of McLain, who retired from the Sault schools in 2003 after eight years of service.

"I have been retired for five years and there are probably only two jobs in the world that would interest me right now," McLain said. "One is in Lansing and the other is this one because I am highly interested in Sault Ste. Marie, this community, this university and everything about it."

McLain's career in education has seen him in a variety of positions, from working as an English teacher to two superintendent positions.

Prior to working in the top spot at the Sault Schools he was superintendent of the Superior Central Schools in Eben Junction, Mich.

He led successful community bond elections in both districts as well as in the Thornapple Kellogg Schools, where he was a principal, curriculum director and guidance director for 16 years.

No stranger to the university environment, he taught classes while a graduate student working on his doctoral degree at Michigan State University.

Since retiring from the Sault schools, McLain has been working as a part-time financial consultant with Stauder Barch and Associates of Ann Arbor, and has been active in the NorthStar chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

McLain's background includes 30 years of experience in contract negotiations, as well as membership and leadership positions on a variety of community and state school professional associations, including past president of the Michigan Association of School Administrators Region 1, campaign chair for the Eastern Upper Peninsula United Way in 2000-2001, and many more.

He was honored with the Sault Schools' "What Parents Want Award" for six consecutive years, 1997-2002.