Executive Search
“[Vanderbloemen] really listened. They worked hard to get to know us, and that opened up our relationship.”
- Teri Cober Board Member
Effective ministry can come in many shapes and sizes, it’s not just confined to Sunday Mornings. When people think about ways to minister to students, the conversation usually focuses on youth group or student ministry.
Often overlooked is education. Students today spend up to five days a week as a captive audience for our educators. Westminster Christian Church in Opelousas, Louisiana, places a huge value on ministry through education, with a mission to “assist parents in educating their children by imparting God's truth to transform society in present and future generations.”
The Board of Directors for Westminster Christian Academy had begun the initial conversations about searching for a Head of School and what kind of person they needed to fill this role.
What made the search extra challenging was that this role oversees two campuses AND a two preschools. This person must champion the pedagogical and spiritual mission of the 1000+ student school.
Board Member Teri Cober put it plainly,
“This was the most important thing I would ever do for Westminster, and it would impact students for years to come.”
With the significance of this hire in mind, the Board began looking at other resources they could add to their toolbelt to help expand the search beyond their own networks. This led them to consider using a third party - an executive search firm.
With skepticism that they would find a firm who understood them and the role, the Board began interviewing and sifting through the several search firms. The hope was to find a firm that would deeply understand the DNA, culture, and mission of Westminster and utilize that knowledge to help find the person God was calling to this school.
After immeasurable amounts of prayer, the Board chose to partner with Vanderbloemen Search Group.
Sitting across the table from Vanderbloemen’s Executive Search Consultant, the Board members laid out the profile of Westminster and who they needed and said that “[Vanderbloemen] really listened. They worked hard to get to know us, and that opened up our relationship.”
Armed with the profile of Westminster and the candidate they were looking for, Vanderbloemen’s full-time, in-house team hit the ground running. They set out as the eyes and ears of the board, searching nationwide for individuals who may be a great fit. After countless screenings, in-person interviews, and hours in prayer, a curated group of candidates was assembled and presented to the Board.
With graduate education, years of educational administrative, and most importantly, a heart to see students receive a high quality Christian education, Scott Davis was the man the God was calling to this role.
Now with Scott Davis overseeing Westminster, the board and the parents of over 1000 children can move forward with confidence knowing that mission and vision of the school are being championed from the new Head of School.
