May 29, 2025 — Special Meeting
Conroe ISD Board Meeting — 2025-05-29
Special Meeting — Unofficial Notes
Based on auto-generated transcript. Not an official record.
Generated 2026-03-28 18:34 UTC
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees — Special Meeting
May 29, 2025
Note: These are unofficial notes based on an auto-generated transcript and may contain errors. For official minutes, please refer to the district's approved records.
Meeting Called to Order
- Time: 1:04 PM
- Quorum confirmed: Yes
- Opening prayer: Trustee May
- Pledges: Led by Trustee Semler
Public Comments
- No public comments were submitted for this meeting.
Purpose of Meeting: Interview Superintendent Search Firms
Board President Odinweller provided opening remarks explaining that the board has appointed an interim superintendent and issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to search firms to assist in finding the district's next superintendent. She noted that unlike typical procurement, the selection committee for this RFP is comprised of all seven board trustees, given that hiring a superintendent is a core board responsibility.
Process Overview (Brian Brousard, Director of Purchasing)
- 9 responses received to the RFP; 8 met the scope of work; 6 firms presented in person
- Each firm was given 5 minutes to set up and 10 minutes for an uninterrupted presentation, followed by board Q&A
- Trustees were provided scorecards (optional for note-taking) and would enter final scores into the district's third-party eBid system (Ion Wave)
- Scoring was confidential; no link was sent to trustees prior to presentations since in-person presentation was a prerequisite for evaluation
- Dr. Lambert served as official timekeeper
Search Firm Presentations
1. Texas Association of School Boards (TASB)
Presenter: George Kazanis, Division Director
Key Points:
- TASB has been serving school boards since 1949; executive search services began in 1988 at the request of school boards
- Kazanis has 32 years in education, 24 as superintendent (China Spring, Wichita Falls, Waco Midway)
- Team includes Dr. Marian Strauss (senior consultant, 10+ years at TASB) and Dr. Robert Duron (former superintendent, part-time)
- Have conducted close to 900 searches since 1988
- Over 90% of placed superintendents serve at least 3 years; over 80% stay 5+ years
- Fee is all-inclusive — no additional bills or reimbursements
- Process includes: customized search, planning meeting with board, community involvement (online surveys, forums, town halls, trustee-invited forums), video component in application system, site visits, and a transition workshop (included in fee)
- Third-party background check included (criminal, credit, bankruptcy, social media)
- Two-year guarantee — will redo search at no charge if superintendent doesn't work out
- Anticipates both statewide and national search for a district of Conroe's caliber
- Communication would be weekly email/status reports; all trustees receive the same information simultaneously
Board Q&A Highlights:
- Trustees asked about data assessment for candidates — Kazanis noted they would review state assessments, campus ratings, audits, financial reports, and other accountability data
- Board can choose whether to see all applicants or a narrowed list — the process is customizable
- Confirmed no placement fees are accepted from candidates
2. BBAC Headquarters LLC
Presenter: Sheree (representative)
Key Points:
- Texas domestic entity formed as a staffing agency; started in Indianapolis, moved headquarters to Houston ~1.5 years ago
- Under 500 employees; small business
- Proposed a 6-8 week timeline
- Would provide a dashboard for trustees to monitor status and submit feedback
- Screening includes background check, credit check, social media check, and cultural competency check
- Guarantee included — will redo search at no additional cost if unsatisfied
- Technology-driven approach for surveys, recruiting, and community feedback
- Fixed firm price presented (amount not stated in transcript)
- Team includes HR professionals and former legislative assistants
Board Q&A Highlights:
- Texas experience: Only completed 2 superintendent searches in Texas; approximately 30 in Indianapolis
- Trustees expressed concern about the compressed 1-week timeline for community engagement; presenter emphasized technology would assist
- Job posting primarily through internal systems and LinkedIn Recruiter
- Does not have a named education consultant with superintendent search experience specifically assigned
3. Walsh Gallegos Kyle Robinson (formerly Walsh Anderson)
Presenters: Melanie Charleston, Senior Counsel (Houston office); Dr. Anne Dixon, Education Consultant
Key Points:
- School law firm for 40 years; represents ~500 school districts in Texas; only represents school districts (no individual employees)
- Formally conducting superintendent searches since 2013; over 100 completed
- Dr. Dixon has been a superintendent for 34 years (permanent in 2 districts, interim in 25+ districts in the region, including Montgomery and Galveston)
- Unique approach: Dr. Dixon personally calls and interviews every single applicant (no computer/video screening); creates detailed worksheets ("poop sheets") for each candidate
- All applications received and stored through the law firm's Austin office in a secure portal — strong emphasis on confidentiality
- Board sees every application; candidates graded A (meets 100% qualifications), B (good but missing preferred criteria), or C (unqualified/red flags)
- "Extreme vetting" includes calling references and non-references, former employers, board members
- Red flags checked: buyouts, high mobility, ESB issues
- Turnkey service from application through signed contract — legal/contract negotiation is included
- Contract negotiation occurs before naming the lone finalist to preserve board leverage
- Dr. Dixon is the sole education consultant; firm has paralegal and support staff
- Never had a "busted search" (where a lone finalist doesn't work out)
- Fee structure: Education consultant has a flat fee; legal fees billed hourly but capped at $25,000 (not to exceed)
Board Q&A Highlights:
- Trustees asked about potential conflict of interest since the firm handles contract negotiations — Charleston clarified they only represent the school board, never candidates; candidates have their own attorneys
- Would coordinate with district's general counsel as needed
- Timeline is flexible — can be as short or as long as the board desires
4. McPherson & Jacobson LLC
Presenter: Dr. Jerry Gibson
Key Points:
- Third-largest search firm in the country
- Conducted over 10,000 searches in 45 states since founding
- 130 consultants; one-third are minorities and/or female
- Retention rate: 80% of placed superintendents stay minimum 5 years; 60% stay 10 years; 40% stay 15+ years
- Proposed team: Dr. Steve Joel (central US), Dr. Walter Cooper (Colorado), Dr. White, and Dr. Gibson (Houston area)
- Process includes stakeholder meetings, detailed timeline (typically 8-12 weeks), and filtering candidates by board-defined criteria
- Advertising through TASA, TASB, AASA, Education Week, Top School Jobs, and multiple national/diversity-focused platforms
- Two-year guarantee — will redo search for cost of consultant expenses only
- Dashboard available for board to monitor applicants
- Candidate vetting includes calling 25+ contacts when needed to verify/refute information
Board Q&A Highlights:
- This would be their first superintendent search in Texas — firm is seeking to establish a footprint in the state
- One-third of consultants are women/minorities; firm stated they have never been asked to search based on specific race/ethnicity
- Dr. Gibson (Houston-based) would be primary boots-on-the-ground; rest of team available as board requests
5. Texans for Excellence in Education (TFE)
Presenters: John (lead), Hava Armstrong, Gemma Padet (VP of HR Services)
Key Points:
- Acknowledged they are a newer organization; collectively as TFE, have done 1 superintendent search in Texas (2A district in central Texas, completed March–May 2025, 38 applicants)
- Team members collectively have done 50+ executive searches
- Curated a specialty team for Conroe ISD:
- Gemma Padet: 30+ year HR professional, former CHRO of major urban district
- Cara Belaloo: School law attorney, former TEA deputy commissioner, governance expert
- Grant Anderson: School finance specialist
- Dr. Crystal Renz: State HQIM (High Quality Instructional Materials) expert, advisor on commissioner's products including Bluebonnet Learning — noted as a critical differentiator
- Emphasized three C's: Community involvement, Communication, and Customization
- Proposed: one-on-one interviews with each trustee and each cabinet member; at least 3 community forums (with translation); comprehensive surveys in English and Spanish
- Customized trustee dashboard — all trustees access all information simultaneously
- Three screening options offered: review all applications, screen by board criteria, or customize
- 200+ interview question bank; three proposed rounds of interviews
- Contract negotiation assistance included; team includes expertise in superintendent accountability policies
- 30-day transition plan for new superintendent; ongoing support during 21-day lone finalist waiting period
- Off-site interview venue costs are the only excluded expense
- Emphasized alignment with Conroe ISD's curriculum values, particularly Bluebonnet Learning and the science of reading
Board Q&A Highlights:
- Trustees asked extensively about Bluebonnet Learning screening — presenters emphasized Dr. Renz's expertise and that candidates would be screened for curriculum knowledge and alignment
- Individual trustee interviews confirmed
- All team members available to trustees for questions; all can be present in Conroe when needed
- Recommended a one-week gap between final interview round and naming lone finalist to allow proper contract negotiation
- Confirmed all costs (except potential off-site venue rental) included in fee
6. Ray and Associates
Presenter: David Falus, Managing Director
Key Points:
- Firm founded in 1975; conducted over 1,600 searches nationally
- Falus was superintendent in Navasota (~3 years) and Southlake Carroll (~15 years); currently based in Dallas-Fort Worth area; also serves 75-80 school districts as financial adviser
- Team: Dr. Hector Dominguez (superintendent in Runge, bilingual), Dan Bitman and Dr. Karen Hall (managing directors), Molly Schwarzoff (VP), Kathy Shenfelder (full-time office staff)
- Main office in Iowa; overarching company in Minneapolis; Falus is Texas-based
- Website receives ~28,000 unique monthly hits; 3,500 registered users who would receive Conroe's profile
- 35-40 associates nationwide for recruiting
- Process: one-on-one interviews with each trustee, district-wide stakeholder meetings (cited ~30 meetings done for Round Rock ISD's 55,000-student search), 31-qualities assessment survey sent to all stakeholders
- Force-fit matrix for candidate ranking described as a unique consensus-building tool
- One-way candidate videos included
- Price match offered — will match competitor pricing if scope of work is similar
- Base cost with "not to exceed" structure; advertising line item typically ~$1,500 for national sites (see page 38/40 of proposal)
- Two-year guarantee mentioned in materials
Board Q&A Highlights:
- Trustees asked about DEI commitment mentioned in cover letter — Falus stated ~40% of placements nationally are women or people of color; said approach depends entirely on what the board desires; acknowledged this is less emphasized in Texas
- Trustee Nelson expressed concern about the prominence of DEI in the firm's materials; Falus clarified that candidate vetting is based on qualifications (experience, leadership, credentials), not DEI categories
- Communication: would establish board contact person and administrative contact person at kickoff meeting; individual trustee interviews included
Scoring Process
After all presentations:
- Board took a recess at 3:08 PM; reconvened at 3:27 PM
- Trustees received email links to the eBid scoring platform, created usernames/passwords, acknowledged terms and conditions, and entered scores for each firm
- Purchasing staff (Miss Desca, Miss Labour) assisted with technical issues
- Scores entered alphabetically by firm name
- All seven trustees submitted scores
- Bid tabulation was prepared and printed for trustees (no recommendation from purchasing department — results only)
Vote: Selection of Superintendent Search Firm
Motion (as amended):
Trustee moved that the board:
1. Select Texans for Excellence in Education (TFE) as the first-ranked proposer for superintendent search firm
2. Authorize the Board President and CFO Karen Garza to negotiate and execute the contract documents
3. If contract terms cannot be reached with TFE, the award goes to the second-ranked proposer, Walsh Gallegos Kyle Robinson, and continues in ranking order until an agreement is reached
Note: The original motion authorized the interim superintendent to negotiate, but was amended due to the concern that the interim superintendent may choose to apply for the permanent superintendent position, creating a conflict of interest.
Vote: 5-2 — Motion carries
Adjournment
- No closed session was needed
- Motion to adjourn: Made and seconded
- Meeting adjourned at 4:04 PM
Summary of Key Outcomes
| Item | Outcome |
|------|---------|
| Search firm selected | Texans for Excellence in Education (TFE) — 1st ranked |
| Backup firm | Walsh Gallegos Kyle Robinson — 2nd ranked |
| Contract negotiation authority | Board President & CFO Karen Garza |
| Vote | 5-2 in favor |
| Firms that presented | TASB, BBAC, Walsh Gallegos, McPherson & Jacobson, TFE, Ray & Associates |
| Firms invited but not present | 2 of 8 qualifying firms did not attend |