New Dist. 62 boss to get coaching from former superintendents
When new Des Plaines Elementary School District 62 Superintendent Floyd E. Williams Jr. starts his position this summer, he'll be getting advice from two former superintendents who will act as mentors during his first year on the job, officials said.
The school board this week approved a $12,500 contract with Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to provide executive coaching services for the incoming superintendent, who will take over July 1 for retiring Superintendent Jane Westerhold.
That's the same firm the school board hired for $19,500 to conduct a superintendent search when Westerhold announced her intent to retire.
Williams, who has spent 19 years in the educational field, is coming to District 62 after recently serving as assistant superintendent for elementary school leadership for the Kenosha Unified School District in Wisconsin, and previous stints as a principal and teacher in the Milwaukee Public School system and as an adjunct university professor.
Mindy Ward, District 62's spokeswoman, said Williams is currently attending transition meetings with Westerhold and other administrative staff, but the two ex-superintendents will serve as consultants once Williams officially takes the job.
Ward described the situation being similar to when a new principal is hired and has a mentor, though that person is usually someone in-house.
The two former superintendents who will guide Williams are Ed Tivador, who led Northbrook-Glenview Elementary School District 30, and Kay Giles, who led Prairie-Hills Elementary School District 144 in the south suburbs.
"Both are well-regarded. They've done a lot of work with other superintendents and organizations over the years," said Steve Humphrey, executive vice president of business development for ECRA Group, which runs Hazard, Young, Attea. "You see this model in the private sector a lot. You think of them not so much as advisers, but as sounding boards to provide insight based on questions the executive has."
The school board last month approved a three-year employment contract with Williams, who will be paid a base salary of $198,000.