Orange County school board, audit advisory committee set hiring process for new internal auditor

Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) board members and the audit advisory committee agreed Thursday to a multi-step recruitment process for the district's next school board internal auditor, including a proposed title change to "chief internal auditor," a reaffirmed reporting relationship to the school board through the audit advisory committee, and a plan for interviews and salary benchmarking.

The discussion matters because the internal audit office provides independent oversight of the district's risk, controls and compliance. Board members and the audit advisory committee said they want to ensure the next hire has the independence and resources required by professional standards while also being able to work with senior management.

The meeting opened with members of the audit advisory committee introducing themselves and their professional backgrounds. "The value that they bring to Orange County Public Schools is beyond words," Chair Jacobs said, thanking the committee for its work. Tammy Campbell, chair of the audit advisory committee and a CPA and partner at McDermott Davis and Company CPAs, told the board the committee will provide expertise and look forward to advising on the search. "Thank you for having the audit committee here and taking us into this position in this process. We look forward to providing whatever feedback we can from our various financial backgrounds and our work with the current or internal…