Executive Search
"The one area we were pleasantly surprised with was [Vanderbloemen] helped us hire our next Head of School and helped us look inwardly at ourselves to think through the way we operate to help going forward, and other areas of growth."
John Krekoska, Chairman, Board of Trustees at Christian Heritage School
Executive Summary
Following the transition of their former Head of School, Christian Heritage School walked through a process of discernment and felt led to seek professional help with their new Head of School hire. After receiving recommendations from other school leaders, CHS decided to hire our team at Vanderbloemen to help expand their reach as they sought out a new Head of School to join them. They ultimately expanded their leadership team by appointing Dr. Michael Dube as their new Head of School. Little did they know, a global pandemic would hit in the midst of their search.
Introduction
Christian Heritage School (CHS) in Trumbull, Connecticut, is a fully accredited K-12 interdenominational Christian school located in Trumbull, Connecticut. Christian Heritage School partners with parents and churches to fulfill their God-given responsibility to teach children that “In (Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3, KJV) and to provide its students with an education of spiritual and academic excellence with which to serve God. The CHS community is committed to the Lord, offers excellent Christian education, and is dedicated to furthering the advancement of Christ’s kingdom.
Opportunity
The CHS Board of Trustees knew they needed a Head of School that would intentionally adhere to carrying out the Christian Heritage School mission statement. The person coming in to fill this role would need to be capable of partnering with parents to equip children to learn in a God-centered environment. Additionally, they were looking for a Head of School who could lead in unifying the parents, students, teachers, and staff in the school community, as well as someone with financial acumen to handle the basics of the financial statements.
It was these unique and extensive requirements in a candidate that made it clear to the board at Christian Heritage School that they could benefit from hiring an executive search firm with the resources to find candidates who could fill this vital position.
Solution
Following an in-depth conversation with John Krekoska, Chairman, Board of Trustees, about Christian Heritage School, and the Head of School position, our Consultant traveled to Trumbull, Connecticut, and met with the CHS team. This conversation provided our Vanderbloemen team with insight into the role and responsibilities of the Head of School position. It was also an excellent way to understand the overall mission and culture of Christian Heritage School.
Throughout the visits to CHS, our Executive Search Consultant was able to meet with the outgoing Head of School, senior staff members, and others on the search committee to gather more information about the search. While there, the Consultant asked the search committee challenging questions to ensure our team would be able to find the right person who would be a culture fit with Christian Heritage School.
At Vanderbloemen, we recognize the importance of finding a person who will fit the unique and specific DNA of the organization. In these meetings, our Consultant gained more knowledge about the time and season that CHS was in and gained foresight about where they plan on going in the future.
The search committee conducted an internal survey to gather different voices and perspectives from those on campus, like the staff, board, and teachers. This survey helped our Consultant become familiar with the precise direction of the search and gain insight into the ideal Head of School for Christian Heritage School.
After constructing a robust list of priorities for the ideal Head of School, our Consultant returned to Vanderbloemen to begin finding the perfect candidate. Knowing a new Head of School entering into a new school community can be tough under any circumstances, this search unearthed other potential challenges since the hire would be during COVID-19.
Since CHS is located just north of New York City, the usual routine of having the final candidates visit with the school in person was out of the question. As an alternative to in-person interviews, our Consultant worked to put together additional video interviews for the search committee to learn more about the candidates and for the finalists to get to know more about CHS virtually. While we believe that in-person makes all the difference, we also value ever-increasing agility and are dedicated to the needs of each unique search. With this final round of virtual interviews, the committee was able to connect with the finalists enough to feel confident that Dr. Michael Dube was the right person to join the team as their new Head of School.
Benefit
When partnering with Vanderbloemen, an organization is assigned a team that includes an Executive Search Consultant and a Research Specialist who walks alongside the organization throughout the entire search process. The Vanderbloemen Executive Search Consultant who worked on this search brings over fifteen years of Christian education experience and ministry to the Vanderbloemen team. All of our team members are full-time employees, solely dedicated to helping our clients find their key staff. All of our Executive Search Consultants have executive leadership experience at Christian organizations.
The benefit of hiring Vanderbloemen is that we have the search capabilities to find the ideal fit for your organization, whether the right person is already working for you or is living halfway across the globe. We’re able to provide an extensive reach and a full staff approach for organizations that otherwise would be limited to their local networks and would need to sacrifice other responsibilities to invest in a quality search. We are able to bring churches and organizations executive position candidates they could not find on their own.
John Krekoska, Chairman, Board of Trustees at Christian Heritage School said he appreciated and valued the thorough communication with our Vanderbloemen team in the process. “The one area we were pleasantly surprised with was [Vanderbloemen] helped us hire our next Head of School and helped us look inwardly at ourselves to think through the way we operate to help going forward, and other areas of growth,” John shared.
Result
Dr. Michael Dube has successfully transitioned into his new role as the Head of School at Christian Heritage School. He has made a genuine and early connection with the parents, students, and the greater CHS community in this process. Christian Heritage School is looking forward to carrying out the mission of the school with Michael Dube’s wisdom and leadership.
