South Fayette School District Superintendent Linda Hippert's strong work ethic and her passion for helping children were among the reasons the Allegheny Intermediate Unit board chose her to be the agency's new executive director.

"I've worked with her on issues in the past and I have firsthand knowledge of her work ethic," said Shauna D'Alessandro, an AIU board member and vice president of the West Jefferson Hills school board.

"She is a tireless worker and her credentials speak for themselves," said Jeff Choura, president of the AIU board and a Chartiers Valley school director.

Dr. Hippert, 54, of Upper St. Clair, was chosen after a national search that was conducted for the intermediate unit by the Pennsylvania School Boards association. She replaces Donna Durno, who retired March 27.

Dr. Hippert will take the reins at the AIU on July 1. There, she will direct a staff of 2,300 employees and oversee a $169 million budget. She received a four-year contract with a starting salary of $160,000.

The intermediate unit, with its headquarters in Homestead, provides specialized education services to the 42 suburban school districts and five vocational-technical schools in Allegheny County.

Dr. Hippert said her lengthy background in education and the leadership activities she's gotten involved with in recent years will help her to serve effectively at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.

"I am willing to do whatever the job is," Dr. Hippert said.

A native of Bridgeville, Dr. Hippert started her career as a high school mathematics teacher at Trinity and Chartiers Valley high schools. She moved to the South Fayette district in 1990 as a principal at the junior-senior high school.

She has been superintendent at South Fayette since 1996, and during her tenure, enrollment has increased from about 1,000 students to 2,300.

She oversaw the construction of a new high school and sports complex, the renovation of the former high school into a middle school and the renovation of the elementary school.

She also oversaw the reorganization of the district from one that grouped grades K-6 in one building and grades 7-12 in another to the creation of a middle school for grades 5-8.

Outside of the district, Dr. Hippert serves as a member of the Grable Foundation Community Cabinet, chair of the executive committee of the Western Pennsylvania Superintendents' Forum and has been a past president of the South Hills Area School Districts' Association.

South Fayette board President Leonard Fornella said Dr. Hippert's resignation "leaves a big hole" to be filled in the district.

"She has a very unique combination of educational background, drive, energy and personality," Mr. Fornella said. "It will be a great loss for us and we are very sorry to see her go, but happy for her in this new opportunity."

Mr. Fornella said it will be the South Fayette board's goal to try to have a new superintendent in place for the start of the 2009-2010 school year.

Dr. Hippert said she is looking forward to the challenge of serving all of the 42 suburban school districts in Allegheny County.

"I think that what's most important is that no matter where children are, they deserve to have the opportunity to be successful," she said.