Newport-based Regional School Unit 19 is looking to hire a new superintendent after Gregory Potter recently moved to Florida and accepted an administrative job there, the school board chairman said Tuesday.

Potter’s last day in the district was Monday, although the board has been working with him on the transition for several weeks, said Darren Briggs, chairman of the RSU 19 school board.

Janet Morse, assistant superintendent, will be interim superintendent as the district searches for a replacement for Potter.

“We are evaluating several potential candidates to see what kind of talent we can draw into the district,” Briggs said. “There is a lot going on and this is a great opportunity. We need a really special person who can carry the torch and get us to the next level, someone with tenacity and a willingness to make things happen.”

Potter served the district for about three years. The district includes Corinna, Dixmont, Etna, Hartland, Newport, Palmyra, Plymouth and St. Albans.

In a statement on the district’s website, Potter thanked the community for its support over the last few years. He said the decision to leave Maine was a hard one, but that he and his wife have close relatives in Florida and that they plan to visit Maine often.

“The growth and change over the last few years has been tremendous in RSU 19, and it is due to the collective efforts of its outstanding leadership team and its instructional and support staffs,” Potter said. “This work would not be possible without a supportive school board and the community at large. I look forward with great excitement to what is to come in RSU 19! Good luck, and I will certainly miss working in this great system.”