Fifteen firms in the business of conducting executive-level searches will be represented at a superintendent job fair at the 2019 AASA National Conference on Education.

The job fair takes place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 15, in room 503 of the convention center in Los Angeles.

The roster of participating search firms includes the largest national companies involved in superintendent searches as well as an array in the private sector and the search arms of state school board associations.

On the eve of this year’s AASA event, Conference Daily Online interviewed the job fair’s coordinator, Lora Wolff, a faculty member at Western Illinois University.

Q. What accounts for increase in the number of executive search firms and consultants who are participating this year in the fair?
Wolff: The increase is due to the school board associations' increasing participation. Tom Leahy, Illinois School Board Association, has been advocating for associations to participate. That participation started last year.

Q. Do you believe the job fair at the conference continues to play an important role for both the firms hired to fill vacancies and the individuals who are considering new job opportunities?
Wolff: The search firms benefit by being able to meet face-to-face with candidates and see the person behind the online and paper application materials. The candidates also benefit as they get to share their resumes and provide additional details about their experience, qualifications, and interests.

Q. How many superintendent vacancies will exist at the time of the conference?
Wolff: The two national firms, Hazard Young Attea and Ray and Associates tend to have the most vacancies. Other search firm participants are more regional or tied to a particular state.

(Jay Goldman is editor of AASA’s Conference Daily Online.)