The Cumberland County Board of Education chose an executive recruiting firm to handle the search for a new superintendent at their Tuesday meeting.
McPherson & Jacobson Executive Recruiting and Development was chosen from five firms that applied for the contract. The cost is $46,780, according to information presented earlier to the board.
Superintendent Marvin Connelly Jr. announced in December 2024 that he is retiring as of July 1. He was appointed in 2018.
The discussion opened with a motion from board member Jackie Warner to hire the N.C. School Board Association; it was seconded by board member Susan Williams. However, several board members spoke against the motion and it failed.
McPherson & Jacobson is based in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a nationwide network of more than 130 consultants and has conducted more than 1,000 superintendent searches in 45 states.
The search involves five phases and is expected to take between eight and 12 weeks.
Phase 1 took place in January when consultants presented to the board. Phase 2 includes meeting with community groups, distributing online surveys, developing promotional materials and advertising the vacancy.
The applicant files will be read and evaluated in Phase 3. In Phase 4, a short list of candidates will be reviewed and consultants will help prepare board members for interviews.
In the final phase, consultants will meet with the board and the selected candidate to establish performance criteria.
The search team includes Barry Carroll, Carl Harris, Debra White and Ben Johnson II — all of whom have worked in school districts across the country.