Leadership, innovation desired in new Douglas superintendent

About a dozen people gathered at Whittell High School on Wednesday night to speak their minds about what traits the new Douglas County School District Superintendent should have.

"I think the leadership of our school district needs to be authentic and an example for our future leaders," said Pam Jimenez, a Zephyr Cove resident.

Jim Huge, the consultant hired for the superintendent search, facilitated the meeting.

"We've had a lot of high-quality people interested," he said. "They're up to the boat and the question is if they will jump in."

The district has advertised for the position since Jan. 4. The application deadline is Feb. 9, or until the position is filled. The school board will meet at 3:30 p.m. March 9 to determine which applicants will move forward. Interviews will be held on March 22, 23 and 24. The tentative start time for those meetings is 4 p.m.

Since January, Huge has held meetings with parents, teachers and community members to solicit their input.

The people at Wednesday night's meeting agreed that the perfect candidate would be a strong communicator who was willing to try innovative ideas.

"This person who comes in needs to be able to lead and be collaborative and make sure people are in the right roles," said Tracy Owen-Chapman.

Huge said the comments would be taken into consideration as the search process moved forward.

"A lot of the best leaders want a good challenge, and I think there are still a few left," he said.

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