001up there we're gonna call this meeting to order um so we're here tonight to request approval of the superintendent contract which was advertised and presented in a public hearing on October the 6th 2022. um so that contract would employ Nicole or Nikki Johnson as the superintendent of Jennings County School corporations beginning November the 1st 2022. so I'm asking for a motion I have a motion by Chelsea do I have a second second I have a second by path and we'll open for discussion and I'm going to start the discussion um I want to just let everyone know the process I think it's important to understand the process that we went through to get us to tonight um I want to let you know that it was a very rigorous process so we actually contracted with
002the university search team in order to really make sure that we um we're gonna looking for recruiting and hiring the best candidate for Jennings County Schools um when the university search team came on one of the first things that they did is they surveyed both team members from the corporation and also community members and as well board members the board met with the university search team and looked at those survey results and really said what is it we're looking for in a superintendent and we went through every single one every single one of us went through those survey results and really talked about what we were looking for from that point moving forward we took every single application and we reviewed those applications the physical applications with the university search team we decided we picked
003who we would interview moving forward we had first round interviews which were conducted on two different days every single board member was in attendance either in person or virtually from those first round interviews um we took a look and said where are we had three choices we could pick one of those people and we could hire them right then we could say you know every individual that we interviewed they're not what we want in Jennings County Schools so we could start it over or we could have gone on to second round interviews and all seven board members made the decision to narrow the candidate pool down and move on to second round interviews so the next week we had um call those candidates back we had second round interviews and then the same three questions
004we asked ourselves again do we have the right candidate for Jennings County schools and we talked again all seven board members were present I felt like it was extremely important that this is the most important one of the most important things we do as a board and that's hiring our only employee we have one employee and that is the superintendent so I felt like and the entire board felt like it was extremely important that we be 100 in agreement and if we couldn't be in agreement as a board then we didn't have the candidate that we needed or wanted that was going to be best for our school corporation and so um after those second round interviews um all seven board members really sat down and discussed the pros and the cons the um of
005both candidates and um as a board we decided that Nikki Johnson was the best candidate for Jennings County Schools and I I wanted to make sure to share everything that this board went through because we did not take this decision lightly we wanted to make sure that we were getting the best person not just someone who lived in town not just someone who worked here but the best superintendent for our school corporation and I believe we have found that person um I know you'll see that there are only six of us here tonight um and I hate that but um Tony did Tony dagger is the seventh board member who's not here um he texted me earlier this week and was not able to be here but I felt it was important that you all
006know where he stood on this decision as well because obviously he's not going to vote tonight um and so I just want to read what he shared with me I have known Nikki for a long time she is a dedicated educator that comes from a long line of educators I am proud to say that I totally support Nikki and look forward to her leading Jenny's County School Corporation he shared congratulations so um I'll open the floor to any additional discussion I think you've covered everything I I mean we start this is pretty that uh Maybe had some dissatisfaction saying that we wouldn't do a process we wouldn't do a fair open honest process and we have done that I mean I explained it very well a lot of time with it and I'm certain we
007got the right any additional discussion from board members for this vote I would like Susan if you would please call the roll so that um yeah we have a motion in a second we do you already have a motion under seconds yes Travis yes Amy yes dolphin yes yes 60 Debbie congratulations thank you I want to thank you for the opportunity and um I would like to say that my heart belongs to jinx County and I will work Tyler's tirelessly each day to make sure our children have the best opportunities to Humble her I want her to notice how quickly I was replaced foreign [Music] [Laughter] a couple of things first of all I know your family is present you and I talked about this and I believe it's extremely important because when we get
008a superintendent we also get their family so I wondered if you'd take a moment just maybe introduce them well if they'll stand up and give away when I call their name my husband Andrew is here and my mother Phyllis amick and then our four children Jocelyn is a freshman Libby is an eighth grader Lila is a sixth grader and Luke is a third grader so for all of you that just stood up we want to thank you for sharing your mother with us because that's exactly what's happening she becomes part of us and that sometimes that takes some time away and some effort away from from you all and so we know that it's a sacrifice for you especially um but um we just want to tell you what a special um mother wife daughter
009that you all have and we just want to say thank you for for sharing her with us um and I think before we close um I just think it would be also appropriate um Jim we can't thank you enough for everything that you've done in the interim um while we were conducting this candidate search to keep us on the straight and narrow I've learned a lot from you and I thank you for that um I have you on speed dial just in case I think everybody else in the room might as well it was my privilege to serve really it was a a great opportunity for me I enjoyed labor to love I just failed a retire in that's all I turned in my keys to this guy why should it feel sad but I
010have my ID card right here [Applause] hey Seth will you make sure you deactivate it I'm still yours until midnight past 1201 so as a congratulations to Nikki and also just to thank Jim for everything we do have come so I think some lemonade and some refreshments so when we uh during this meeting everybody grab and if you're gonna stay come back in and join us because we have a board meeting continue to do the work of reward um at seven so I'll entertain a motion to return motion by Pat and a second by Travis all those in favor 6-0 meeting adjourned