New Beginnings Schools Foundation’s newly hired CEO Michelle Blouin-Williams will earn $175,000 annually in her new role, significantly more than her predecessor.

The New Beginnings board of directors unanimously approved her three-year contract at its meeting Thursday. The previous CEO earned $140,000.

Blouin-Williams was selected in July to lead the four-school network a week after she was the sole candidate to interview. This spring, members abandoned a failed board-run search in favor of a $50,000 headhunter who delivered two candidates.

Blouin-Williams previously served in Jefferson Parish public schools leadership and spent the last year as Chief Administrative Officer for the Orleans Parish School Board.

She will oversee the network schools’ transition back to the Orleans Parish School Board. This summer, at the direction of the New Beginnings board, two of the network’s four schools made the move.

In 2004, Pierre A. Capdau was the first school seized by the Recovery district. On July 1, the C-rated Capdau returned to local oversight along with Lake Area New Tech Early College High School. New Beginnings will still oversee daily operations at all four schools, these two will answer ultimately to the School Board for yearly operational and academic performance.

The other two schools, Medard Nelson and Gentilly Terrace elementaries, remain under the control of the Recovery School District. A law passed this year set into motion the return of all Recovery charter schools over the next two years.

Members Leslie Bouie, Jill Sylvain, Val Marshall, Kathy Saloy, Shelia Danzey and Travis Chase were present.