HAMPTON -- A director with the state Department of Education has been selected from three finalists to become the first superintendent of Hampton's newly formed SAU 90.

The Hampton School Board voted unanimously Thursday night to offer the job to Kathleen Murphy.

"This is a very historic and positive moment in Hampton history where we all can feel proud of the outcome," said Hampton School Board Chairwoman Rosemary Lamers.

Murphy — who is the director of the Division of Instruction of the Department of Education — was interviewed by the board on Thursday evening.

"I don't think when we wrote the job description that we could have hoped for someone to align more closely with the needs of the Hampton School District than she has," said Lamers. "She has passion, ability and expertise that I think we are all going to benefit from."

The board interviewed the other two finalists — Michelle Langa, who was a superintendent of SAU 61 until 2010, and Middleton McGoodwin, who is the superintendent in Marshfield, Mass. — on Tuesday.

"I was pleased with the tremendously high caliber of applicants for the position and it was a difficult decision with so many wonderful people applying," Lamers said. "But in the end we could only pick one."

Board member Ginny Bridle-Russell said Murphy stood out.

"Number one, she had enthusiasm and was excited about being a superintendent," Bridle-Russell said. "She has a lot of clear, precise answers and has a plan going in to make Hampton one of the top ten schools in New Hampshire."

Murphy previously served as superintendent of schools for Newmarket, the instructional supervisor in Nashua and assistant superintendent in Derry.

She began her career as an elementary teacher in Derry in 1971 and remained there until 1984.

Her education includes a bachelor of science degree in education from Plymouth State College, a master's degree in educational administration from Rivier College in Nashua in 1976, and a certificate of advanced graduate study degree in school administration from the University of New Hampshire.

The search for a superintendent comes after Hampton voted to withdraw from SAU 21 and establish its own school administrative unit at the March 9 election by a vote of 1,724 to 1,120. The new SAU comes into being July 1, 2011.