With a unanimous vote Wednesday night, members of the Hart district board selected Ben Rodriguez to serve as the district’s chief operations officer.

The appointment, effective today, comes about three months after the departure of former COO Tom Cole, who took a position as Santa Clarita’s community development director in November.

Rodriguez has served as the interim COO for the William S. Hart Union High School District since Cole’s departure.

Some of the primary job responsibilities of a COO include administering and coordinating facilities planning, modernization and construction projects, as well as reviewing departmental budgets and expenditures within the district.

According to details of the contract provided to The Signal Thursday, Rodriguez will earn a monthly salary of $10,863.

Rodriguez will also receive an automobile allowance of $486 a month and is eligible to receive reimbursement of his business-related expenses.

The contract approved Wednesday night runs until June 30, 2014.

Michael Vierra, the district’s assistant superintendent of human resources, praised Rodriguez’s professional background, which his highly based in real estate and construction management.

“He really hit the ground running for us,” Vierra said.