Brandon Twp.- The school board approved at their Nov. 18 meeting the hiring of the Michigan Leadership Institute to search for a new superintendent.
Earlier in the meeting, the board had heard presentations from representatives from three search firms. Besides Dr. Mike Wilmot of the Michigan Leadership Institute, the board also heard from Rich Ramsey of the Michigan Association of School Boards and Dr. Larry Allen and Kent Barnes from NorthStar Staffing.
Ultimately, they settled on Wilmot and the Michigan Leadership Institute.
‘He is experienced in Oakland County and very experienced with our district,? said Superintendent Lorrie McMahon. ‘He knows us and the board liked him personally and the cost is right.?
The board has approved a $4,500 contract with the Michigan Leadership Institute, with up to $500 additional for expenses such as mileage.
Wilmot and the Michigan Leadership Institute conducted the last superintendent search in 2008, at the conclusion of which McMahon, the district’s curriculum director and acting superintendent at the time, was hired for the permanent position. Last month, McMahon announced she would retire at the end of this school year.
‘We are always glad to have a repeat customer’we value our relationships with school districts and boards and look forward to working with the whole community again,? said Wilmot on Tuesday.
The first step in his search for Brandon’s next superintendent will be to meet with the board and decide on a specific calendar and activities to conduct the search. Wilmot said he will set up meetings with stakeholders in the district, including school staff, parents and other interested parties to determine what skills, characteristics, and qualifications they want the next superintendent to have. He will then advertise for candidates, posting the position in several locations, likely in January.
The next step will be to bring to the board all the candidates, and advise on which matches the Michigan Leadership Institute feels are best.
‘The decision on what candidates to interview is left to the board,? Wilmot noted.
Interviews with four to six candidates are likely to be scheduled, with the pool then narrowed down to two candidates, with more interviews and visits to the home districts of each candidate. The final candidates will also be asked to spend a whole day at Brandon and explain why they are uniquely qualified to be the leader of this district. A selection will then be made. The entire process, he said, is expected to take about 12 to 14 weeks.