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 auditor and provide insight and help you through the process as well," Campbell said.

Board and committee members reviewed the audit charters and said the existing charter language — which states the school board internal auditor "reports to the school board of Orange County through its audit advisory committee" — should be reflected clearly in the posted job description. "The school board internal auditor reports to the school board of Orange County through its audit advisory committee," the presenter said while reading the charter language.

Key elements the board agreed on:
- Title and reporting: Members favored changing the job title from "school board internal auditor" to a title that signals executive responsibility (discussed as "chief internal auditor") and making the reporting relationship explicit in the job posting: the position reports to the school board via the audit advisory committee, with routine administrative matters handled through the district administrative chain (the board confirmed administrative approvals such as leave or travel would follow existing administrative practice rather than alter the independent reporting relationship).
- Posting and outreach: The district will post the job on OCPS channels and share it with professional networks, including the Council of the Great City Schools internal auditors network and the Institute of Internal Auditors; the presenter said the posting will emphasize the independent reporting relationship and adherence to Institute of Internal Auditors standards.
- Recruitment process and interviews: The board agreed on a staged process: initial screening by human resources (HR) and departmental staff to weed out unqualified applications; development of a short list by the audit advisory committee (or a subcommittee); first-round interviews to include a designated school board representative (Member Salamanca) with a named backup (Member Perron), two members of the audit advisory committee and the chief information officer as a senior-management representative; and a final round in which the whole board would have the opportunity to interview finalists alongside the audit advisory committee. The board asked that interview questions be drafted by staff, circulated to board members for input (in ways that comply with sunshine-law rules), and refined before interviews begin.
- Sunshine and logistics: Committee members and staff emphasized that any meetings of the audit advisory committee or of board members during the process are subject to Florida's public-meeting (sunshine) rules and must be posted. The group discussed using recorded virtual interviews for the first round when candidates are out of state and ensuring posted meetings so other board members can view or listen.
- Salary and classification: The current job was listed in group 2 on the district salary schedule; presenters recommended HR run compensation comparables and consider moving the position to group 1 or the executive management salary schedule. HR and staff agreed to present recommended salary range(s) and a revised job description to the board at the January 28 board meeting.

At the meeting's close the board confirmed the process steps and participants and resolved who would represent the board in the first-round interviews: Member Salamanca will serve as the board representative and Member Perron will be the backup. Board and committee members emphasized they want the audit advisory committee's technical judgment applied early in the process and a full-board opportunity to meet finalists before a final appointment.

The board directed HR and staff to prepare the posting, run compensation comparables, and return with a recommended salary range and the revised job description at the next appropriate board meeting for approval. The presenter also noted the audit department follows professional standards and external peer reviews on a five-year cycle (the last peer review occurred in 2021) and that the audit plan runs on a fiscal year timetable (July 1–June 30), items staff said will be included in candidate materials.

The meeting ended with brief comments from two members of the public who had observed the work session; the board allowed each a short period to speak although the session was a work session and public input was not required.