VIDALIA — A familiar face will take the reins in the Concordia Parish school system in January — Loretta Blankenstein.

In a meeting that lasted fewer than five minutes, the Concordia Parish School Board unanimously voted to name Blankenstein the interim superintendent of the school district for 18 months.

She has previously served in interim and permanent superintendent capacities for the district.

Blankenstein will fill the vacancy left by Superintendent Paul Nelson, whose resignation last week will be effective at the end of the year.

“I am excited to come and work with the board while they search for their candidate for a permanent replacement,” she said. “I wanted to help out, and I felt I could, so I will work with them until then.”

Blankenstein’s appointment to the temporary position was made without discussion from the board, though board member Fred Butcher said he thought the 18-month time element was needed.

“If we do less than that, you would have three leaders in less than a year, and I don’t think that’s a good thing for our students and employees,” he said.

Blankenstein said the 18-month period would aid the board in its search for a permanent superintendent.

“They wanted to have time to look for somebody,” she said. “They want stability in the system, but they also wanted to take the time to find the right person.”

Board member Ronnie Bradford made the motion to hire Blankenstein as the interim superintendent, and member Ricky Raven seconded it.

Blankenstein retired as superintendent in mid-2012. She was appointed to the position in February 2008, and had previously served as acting superintendent from November 2007 until her appointment.

Prior to that, she had worked in the parish school system for 20 years, including as the principal at Ferriday Lower Elementary School.

Since her retirement from the school system, Blankenstein has worked as the secretary-treasurer at Blankenstein’s Supplies and Equipment in Natchez.She has also worked part-time as a reading interventionist at Vidalia Upper Elementary this fall.