John R. Colson will become Waimea Middle Public Conversion Charter School's new chief education and executive officer, the school announced.

Colson's selection concludes a year-long search by the school and its not-for-profit local school board, Ho'okako'o Corporation. Colson will start in his new position in the 2008-2009 school year.

Colson is middle school principal at Kamehameha School's-Hawai'i Campus in Kea'au. He served in many roles at Hawai'i Preparatory Academy in Waimea for 25 years, including headmaster, middle and upper school principal, teacher, counselor and coach.

Waimea Middle PCCS has about 475 students in sixth through eighth grades, and has about 80 teachers, counselors and staff. It is in its fifth year as the state's first public conversion charter school.