The Newhall School District Governing Board unanimously selected Leadership Associates as its superintendent search firm Tuesday, citing the consultants’ prior experience and track record with similar searches in elementary education.
“I’d much rather go with experience,” Board Clerk Brian Walters said during Tuesday’s meeting. “So given our previous experience, given the way they know our district… I think Leadership Associates comes in with an advantage.”
This marks the second time in four years Leadership Associates was chosen to complete a superintendent search for the Newhall district. The firm was also selected in 2014 when it found current Superintendent Paul Cordeiro, who will retire in June.
“I was impressed with the candidate they found and they were easy to work with,” Board President Phil Ellis said of Leadership Associates’ previous work in the district.
As the district’s superintendent search firm, Leadership Associates will work with the district’s Governing Board to recruit, interview, select and nominate a superintendent to the board.
Since its founding, the California-based executive search firm has completed more than 365 searches for California districts, including the neighboring Castaic Union School District.
Of its completed searches, more than 85 percent of superintendents selected have remained in their positions for more than five years.
In this search, the district’s lead consultants will be Dennis Smith and Peggy Lynch, who are both former superintendents and have each completed about 40 superintendent searches.
The firm also has two executive assistants who are former superintendent secretaries that work with the Newhall district staff to complete clerical and administrative work.
Leadership Associates works in a nine phases and is expected to place a new superintendent in the Newhall district by July 1.
It will also provide the district with a governance workshop for the new superintendent and keep in touch with him or her throughout the first year in office.
“I liked what I saw tonight with the thoroughness of the presentation, which I think translates to thoroughness in search,” Board Member Christy Smith said.
Leadership Associates was chosen over another firm, The Cosca Group, which helped the Sulphur Springs School District in its search for a superintendent several years ago.
The two firms were similar in cost, with The Cosca Group’s all-inclusive fee of $23,664 and Leadership Associates’ all-inclusive fee of $23,500.
Leadership Associates’ fee is the same amount the district paid for its consulting services four years ago.
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