FT. LAUDERDALE (CBS4) – The Broward School Board was busy Monday when it welcomed its two newest members and narrowed down the candidates for Superintendent to seven semi-finalists.

Katherine Leach and real estate agent Donna Korn were sworn in to fill the vacancies left by the resignation of Jennifer Gottlieb and Dave Thomas. Leach and Korn were appointed by Gov. Rick Scott last Friday.

Leach was a teacher for 6 years, and now serves as a director for autism contracts at the Mailman Segal Center for Human Development at Nova Southeastern University. She is also a member of the council for exceptional children.

Korn, a Davie resident, also served as a Broward teacher for 3 years, but has spent most of her career in real estate., She served on a number of education-related committees, is a Guardian ad-litem, and is chair of the Children’s board of Broward County.

The terms for both of the newly appointed board members expires November 12, 2012.

Scott was called upon to make the appointments after Gottlieb and Thomas resigned within days of each other, leaving the board short-handed as it was preparing a new budget and trying to hire a new superintendent.

Both Gottlieb and Thomas said they were resigning for personal reasons, Thomas to spend more time with his family and Gottlieb because she found the burden of serving too great.

During the meeting, the school board narrowed down a list of 43 applicants for the Superintendent’s job to seven semi-finalists.

The candidates reach across the country and feature a few local candidates.

The candidates include: Dr. Bryan Bowles, of the Davis School District in Utah; Dr. Debra Brathwaite, deputy superintendent in Richland County, South Carolina; Dr. James Browder, Former Superintedent of Lee County, Florida Public Schools; Dr. Arthur Johnson, Palm Beach County Superintendent; Robert Runcie, Area 17 Chief Instructional Officer in Chicago, Illinois; Thomas G. Siegel of the Bethel School District in Roy, Washington; and Dr. Bernard Taylor, Superintendent of Grand Rapids Public Schools.

After several rounds of interviews, the School Board is expected to make its choice by Sept. 14.