School system Deputy Superintendent Dennis Carpenter is a finalist for the Peach County superintendent position.

According to the Peach County Schools' website, Carpenter is one of three finalists for superintendent along with Joe Ann Denning, director of student services for Peach County, and Christy Johnson, assistant superintendent with Carroll County schools.

"I am both honored and humbled to be named one of three finalists for the superintendency in Peach County, given an initial slate of 34 qualified applicants," Carpenter said in a Tuesday email. "In addition, I am looking forward to traveling to Peach County this evening and participating in a community forum alongside the other finalists for this position."

The Peach County Board of Education is hosting a public forum at 7 p.m. today at Peach County High School, 900 Campus Dr., Fort Valley, Ga. Fort Valley is 30 miles southwest of Macon.

According to Macon.com, the earliest the board could take a final vote for a new superintendent is July 12. Peach County Superintendent Susan Clark is retiring Thursday after spending three years as superintendent, the website reported.

The Newton County School System had 19,003 students during the 2009-10 school year, while Peach County had 3,962 students, according to the Georgia Department of Education's website.

"Dr. Carpenter is certainly an up-and-coming school executive," Newton schools Superintendent Gary Mathews said in an email. "Entering my 20th year as a school superintendent, I've seen many administrators come and go. Rarely have they enjoyed the knowledge and ability that Dennis does in both instruction and operations. He will certainly be Peach's gain and Newton's loss if he is selected. We wish him the best at whatever his future."