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Executive Director Search Update
The Search for a New Executive Director
Recruiting Firm to Assist with Executive Director Search
Executive Director Search Timeline
The Search for a New Executive Director
by SAA President, Peter Hirtle
In my incoming presidential remarks in Birmingham in August, I made the
following observation:
Many people have asked me if I am intimidated by the prospect
of having to serve as president of the Society. It may be foolish on my
part, but I am not--mainly because I know that the real heavy lifting
needed to keep the Society functioning is performed by the small but hard-working
staff in Chicago. Susan Fox and her staff do an exceptional job overseeing
the day-to-day management of the Society, and make the work of the president
and the rest of Council very easy. Without Susan, Debbie, Teresa, Carroll,
and the rest of the excellent staff, I doubt if we could get anyone to
run.
Little did I know that only a week after I said these words, I would
receive a phone call from Susan telling me about her decision to leave
SAA at the end of September to assume the position of executive director
for the American Association of Law Librarians. She reminded me that it
was too late to rethink my own decision to serve.
In the months since Susan's departure, I have learned exactly how accurate
my own words were. The small staff in SAA's office continue to demonstrate
a remarkable level of professionalism and competence. The unexpected and
shocking loss of Bernice Brack is one more blow that they have weathered.
From my perspective, I have seen no evidence of any decrease in support
to SAA members. SAA staff remain a remarkable group, and SAA is lucky
to have them.
The high level of ability found in SAA staff and their ability to continue
to function efficiently without direct overall supervision is perhaps
Susan's greatest legacy to SAA; she developed a fine team. At the same
time, I have come to realize how much all SAA officers had come to rely
on Susan's thoughtfulness, judgment, and resourcefulness in a wide variety
of areas. The engine she drove can continue on its tracks for quite awhile
without a conductor, but there are going to be curves ahead, and we are
going to miss Susan's steady hand on the throttle.
For that reason, the primary task of Council's Executive Committee this
fall has been to implement a process to identify and hire a new executive
director. The Executive Committee (Vice President Tim Ericson, Treasurer
Elizabeth Adkins, Council Member Tom Connors, and I) reviewed the excellent
reports and recommendations of the search committee that conducted the
last search. We also consulted with other professionals in association
management, and solicited opinions from selected former SAA officers and
of course the full Council. Most importantly, Susan herself provided the
kind of thoughtful, articulate, and useful analysis of the recruitment
process that we have come to expect of her, including a strong recommendation
that we consider employing an executive search firm to assist us.
The committee quickly reached some important conclusions. First, we asked
Carroll Dendler and Debbie Nolan to shepherd SAA as interim executive
co-directors until the appointment of a new executive director. Carroll
is overseeing the administrative functions of the Chicago office while
Debbie is coordinating programmatic areas and nonroutine interactions
with members.
While Debbie and Carroll can manage the office on an interim basis, we
still need a regular executive director. That person, we concluded, will
most likely be experienced in association or academic management. In the
eight years since we hired Susan, SAA has grown in size and maturity,
and the issues facing us have grown in complexity. SAA would be best served
by having at its head a professional experienced in working with governing
boards or advisory committees to lead organizations or programs, and attuned
to the latest thinking in association management, the delivery of member
services, continuing education and publication programs, fundraising,
and effective lobbying techniques.
How does one identify and hire a top-notch individual to manage our association?
We determined that we would have to obtain the services of an executive
search firm. A good search firm can help refine SAA's story and present
it to potential candidates in a way that ensures that our vision for the
future is front-and-center. In addition, a good search firm will proactively
seek out the best and the brightest, rather than merely hoping that such
people will respond to an advertisement. A search firm as well will assume
much of the clerical chores that previous search committees had to do
themselves. Lastly, the use of search firms seems to have become the standard
way of recruiting for this type of position; it was a search firm, for
example, that brought Susan's new position to her attention. After investigating
a number of potential firms and soliciting proposals from three, we selected
the firm of Morris & Berger of Pasadena, Calif.
A search committee will partner with Morris & Berger to ensure that
the candidates we identify are a good fit with SAA's culture and needs.
The committee, which I appointed in November, is chaired by Vice President
Tim Ericson, and consists of Elizabeth Adkins, treasurer; Tom Battle and
Elaine Engst, councilors; Brenda Banks, recent officer; William Maher,
member of the previous search committee; and Brian Doyle, elected SAA
staff member. So far the search committee has refined a list of qualifications
(required and preferred) for the executive director, finalized a position
description, and developed information about SAA that Morris & Berger
can use to recruit applicants. Within the next few months, they will review
all applicants and help identify the finalists to be interviewed by Council.
While no one wanted to see Susan leave, she could not have left SAA better
prepared for her departure. We have plenty of time to hire someone before
the next annual meeting; she left with the society in the black (in spite
of the downturn in the economy); with direction from Council, she has
over the past decade built the reserve funds of the Society so that we
can pay the costs associated with replacing her; and she left a terrific
team in place. We will hire another person to serve as executive director,
but it is hard to believe that anyone can serve the archival community
better than Susan Fox did. I wish her all the best in her new position.
Recruiting Firm to Assist with Executive Director Search
The search is currently underway to find Susan Fox's successor. Fox
stepped down last September after eight years as executive director of
the Society of American Archivists to become the new executive director
for the American Association of Law Librarians.
In November, SAA Council hired Morris & Berger of Pasadena, Calif.,
to facilitate the search process. Morris & Berger specializes in recruiting
for executive positions in the non-profit sector and will be able to be
more proactive in recruiting potential candidates from a wider pool than
SAA would have been able to do on its own.
"A good search firm can help refine SAA's story and present it to potential
candidates in a way that ensures that our vision for the future is front-and-center,"
said SAA President Peter Hirtle. "In addition, a good search firm will
proactively seek out the best and the brightest, rather than merely hoping
that such people will respond to an advertisement."
Morris & Berger will be working with the SAA Search Committee throughout
the process and will also be responsible for a good deal of the routine
administrative copying, mailing, telephoning, and reference checking that
fell on the search committee members before.
President Hirtle appointed the following to serve on the Search Committee:
Vice President Tim Ericson (chair), Treasurer Elizabeth Adkins, Tom Battle
and Elaine Engst (councilors), Brenda Banks (recent officer), William
Maher (member of the previous search committee), and Brian Doyle (SAA
staff representative).
The timeline at right outlines the search process. An ambitious goal
of Mar. 31 has been set to conclude the search. Council will make the
final hiring decision.
Any questions may be directed to Search Committee Chair Tim Ericson
at tle@gml.lib.uwm.edu.
Executive Director Search Timeline
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Nov. 20:
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Morris & Berger meets with Search Committee to develop criteria
and discuss search process. Morris & Berger meets with select
SAA staff.
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Nov. 25:
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Morris & Berger sends draft position description to Search
Committee for review and editorial comments.
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Dec. 3:
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Position description is approved.
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Dec. 4-Jan. 30:
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Morris & Berger launches outreach program; responds to nominations
and keeps Search Committee informed of progress of search on weekly
basis.
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Jan. 30:
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Morris & Berger meets with Search Committee to review long
list (in person) of candidates and narrow the pool to the mid-list
(approximately 15).
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Feb. 3-Mar. 3:
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Morris & Berger interviews mid-list candidates and verifies
education.
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Mar. 6:
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Morris & Berger meets with Search Committee to discuss results
of (telephonic) mid-list interviews and narrow to short-list of
candidate pool.
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Mar. 17-20:
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Search Committee interviews short-list candidates (in person).
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Mar. 20:
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Morris & Berger meets with Search Committee to discuss results
of (in person) interviews of short-list candidates and determine
those who should progress to final interviews with other stakeholders
(Council, staff, etc.).
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Mar. 25-28:
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Morris & Berger conducts reference and background checks and
final candidates return for second round interviews and for relocation
information purposes with Council, Search Committee and staff.
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Mar. 31:
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Council makes decision and offer is extended.
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