Dear E.L. Haynes Families,
We hope you had a strong start to the new school year and that September brings even more opportunities for growth and success! We are excited to update you on the search for our next Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Introducing Leveled Talent
As we shared in June, this process will be overseen by the Board of Trustees and led by the CEO Search Committee. Over the summer, our Search Committee evaluated over a dozen executive search firms to identify an experienced partner to support us with the CEO search. We’re happy to share that we have selected Leveled Talent to help find our next CEO.
Leveled Talent will work with the Search Committee to manage this process. Leveled Talent has a deep reach into the national talent pool and a track record of identifying and placing strong candidates. They value diversity, are deeply committed to minimizing bias, and are skilled in developing people-centered recruitment processes. After interviewing several possible firms, we believe we have the right support and guidance to partner with us to identify our next CEO.
CEO Search Timeline
With input from the broader community – families, students, and staff – we will create the priorities for who we are looking for in our next CEO, including the profile and position announcement, and post the role on various platforms. After we review and incorporate your feedback, the job description will “go live” next month (October). We will then start the candidate engagement process with the goal of identifying a finalist by January.
Most Ideal Timeline (subject to change):
| Phase I September – November | Phase II October – December | Phase III January – February | Phase IV March – June |
| Conduct initial community engagementLaunch CEO searchInformational interviews and candidate cultivationScreening interviews | First round interviews Second roundinterviews | Host final interviewsDetermine finalistBoard vote and confirmation of candidate | Onboarding of new CEO |
How Can I Share My Input?
You choose E.L. Haynes for your student every day, and we are committed to inclusive decision-making — including when selecting our next CEO. Your voices will be critical in this search, and we will ensure you have several opportunities to share your thoughts and input throughout the process.
Today we launch the CEO Search Feedback Survey! Your responses to this short form will help us develop the CEO profile and job description. CLICK HERE to complete the survey by Friday, September 27 and share your input. All responses will remain anonymous. Leveled Talent will identify key themes based on overall feedback from our families.
Thank you in advance for your time and support. We look forward to providing you with more updates in the coming weeks and throughout the process.
With gratitude,
Lenora Robinson Mills, CEO Search Committee Chair, Proud E.L. Haynes Parent
Lisa Carlton Waller, Board Chair, Proud Parent of an E.L. Haynes Graduate