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Superintendent Search

green graphic that reads "Superintendent Search Updates" with the FHSD logo

The Forest Hills School District Board of Education is searching for a visionary leader to serve students, staff and community members as the district's next superintendent. The search process, which is being conducted with support from the Hamilton County Educational Service Center, will involve intentional community feedback and a robust recruitment effort to ensure any candidate considered for this important role is well suited to FHSD’s unique strengths and positioned to support a world-class educational experience.

This webpage will be updated throughout the process with important information related to the superintendent search.

Candidates Announced for Interview Phase

The Board of Education met on Wednesday, April 15 to review applicants for the position and select candidates to move forward in the formal interview process. The Board worked with the Hamilton County Educational Service Center (ESC) search team to evaluate the professional profiles of applicants against the community-developed leadership criteria, which can be found in the FHSD Superintendent Profile.

The following individuals have been invited to participate in the formal interview process (alphabetical by last name):

  • Suzanna Davis—Senior Director of Student Services, Middletown City Schools
  • Joseph Ellison—Assistant Superintendent of High Schools, Jefferson County Public Schools
  • Robert Fellows—Executive Director of Human Resources, Forest Hills School District
  • Kiya Hunt—Superintendent, Canal Winchester Local Schools
  • Chris Piper—Superintendent, Troy City Schools
  • Kim Tinsley—Assistant Superintendent, Forest Hills School District

"The quality of the applicant pool reflects the strong reputation of Forest Hills School District," said Board President Wendy Strickler. "We have identified a group of leaders whose experience and vision align with the priorities our community shared through an online survey with 800 responses and more than two dozen focus groups during the input phase. We are eager to begin the face-to-face conversations that will help us find the perfect fit for our students and staff."

There will be four interview rounds, including a public Meet the Candidates Night that will offer an opportunity for all members of the community to hear directly from finalists and share their perspective with the Board. Please see the "Superintendent Search Timeline" section below for more details about specific interview rounds.

The Board started this search with a three-week community input process that was invaluable in supporting its efforts to identify excellent candidates. Community members will have the opportunity to remain engaged during the interview stages, and the Board appreciates the high level of interest and involvement in this important search.

Superintendent Search Profile

In partnership with the search team at the Hamilton County Educational Service Center (ESC), the FHSD Board of Education is proud to share the FHSD Superintendent Profile—a detailed snapshot of the unique characteristics that make Forest Hills a premier school district and the ten skills the community helped identify as most critical for the district’s next leader to demonstrate.

The FHSD Superintendent Profile was created by the Hamilton County ESC team based on input from students and staff at all nine district schools, a community-wide online survey that received 800 responses and six different community focus group sessions that included 80 individuals. The Board intentionally expanded the focus group opportunities to make sure there would be room to include everyone who expressed an interest in participating. All individuals who indicated interest in the survey received a follow-up invitation with focus-group dates.

Through that extensive input process, the FHSD community identified the ten most important characteristics needed in a future superintendent.

  • Student-Centered Leadership
  • Integrity and Trust
  • Unifier and Bridge Builder
  • Community-Connected Leader
  • Commitment to Academic Excellence
  • Complex Systems Leadership
  • Whole-Learner Success
  • Future Focused and Strategic
  • Fiscal Stewardship
  • Courageous and Decisive

Superintendent Search Profile Document

Click the link above or view the images below to see the FHSD Superintendent Search Profile. You can find more information about the creation of the report in the Helpful Links section at the bottom of the webpage.
Images of the Superintendent Search Profile

Community Input Process

The FHSD Board of Education is inviting the community to provide input throughout the search process for the district's next superintendent.

The first part of the engagement phase of the search took place throughout March. From March 10 to March 21, FHSD conducted an online survey to collect feedback from staff, families and community members about the priorities and qualities they believe are most important in the district’s next superintendent.

In addition to the survey, the Hamilton County ESC search team hosted a series of focus groups to gather perspectives from faculty, staff, students, parents and community members. The search team held staff focus groups at each school across the district, and students from Anderson High School, Turpin High School and Nagel Middle School had the opportunity to participate and share their insights. Principals in each of the district’s elementary schools collected input from their students.

Families and community members who completed the survey were able to indicate whether they were interested in participating in a focus group to share their perspective in small-group conversations, which took place the week of March 23. The Board intentionally expanded the focus group opportunities to make sure there would be room to include everyone who expressed an interest in participating. All individuals who indicated interest in the survey received a follow-up invitation with focus group dates.

Approximately 800 individuals took the online survey, and 80 individuals participated in the community focus group sessions.

Feedback gathered through the survey and focus groups helped inform the Superintendent Profile. This document will guide the Board of Education and Hamilton County ESC in identifying candidates who best align with the priorities and values of the Forest Hills community as they work to identify the next superintendent.

Certain interview phases will include key community stakeholders, and all members of the FHSD community will be invited to stay involved with an additional survey that will inform the later interview rounds and an opportunity to meet future candidates
Graphic detailing the superintendent search process and timeline

Superintendent Search Timeline

  • March 10-13: Launch survey and internal focus groups
  • Week of March 16: Host student focus groups
  • March 21: Survey closes
  • Week of March 23: Host external focus groups with families and community
  • March 31: Board of Education meeting; finalize profile and establish next steps
  • April 1-10: Application window
  • April 13-14: Hamilton County ESC team screens candidates
  • April 15: Board of Education Meeting
  • April 20: Round One interviews involving community, Board and district leadership
  • April 22: Round Two interviews with Board of Education
  • April 27: Round Three interviews (finalists) with community and stakeholder groups, including a public Meet the Candidate Night (Nagel Middle School at 6 p.m., please note the location may change based on final logistics)
  • April 29: Round Four interviews with the Board of Education
  • Early May: Announcement of new superintendent

Please note, this timeline is tentative and will be updated throughout the search process.

Helpful Links and Information
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