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Board discusses executive‑officer vacancy, office space and possible remote work as staff prepares job posting
Summary
Board staff and the Kansas Department of Administration reviewed the hiring process for the board executive officer position, discussed posting schedule, salary range, remote work and whether to relocate the office to Topeka or share space with other boards; HR provided procedural guidance for posting and selection.
Board members reviewed steps to post and fill the board’s executive‑officer position and discussed whether the role should be located in an office in Topeka, shared with another board, or be a remote position.
Jan Murray, the incumbent executive officer, said she will retire and has prepared a draft position description; she asked for guidance about posting and whether the board would prefer an on‑site office or remote work. The board discussed tradeoffs: shared office space could improve phone coverage when the executive officer is absent, but some members expressed concern that sharing space with another licensing board might create a perception that the board is merged or subordinate; others said remote work could broaden the applicant pool and save rent.
Lisonbee (Allison) Conklin, HR manager with the Kansas Department of Administration Office of Personnel Services, joined the meeting to walk through the state hiring process. She said the board must request approval to fill the position, and that the department will post the opening through the state’s SHARP system with a posted salary or salary range. Conklin said Jan’s current hourly rate is $26.17 and that the department can offer comparisons to other small boards (for example, dentistry, mortuary arts and the veterinary board) to help set pay. Once the board selects a candidate, the department conducts reference checks, requests tax‑clearance documentation for hire approval, and forwards the appointment to the governor’s office for final approval.
Board members asked whether a remote arrangement is permissible. Conklin said telework can be accommodated but the board must decide whether it prefers a remote‑eligible posting or an in‑office role; the Department of Administration maintains policies for remote work and space requirements. Jan noted current rent is $48,100 per year and that her office uses minimal physical storage, which would make a move to a smaller Topeka office or a remote model feasible. The board did not set a final policy on office location; members asked staff to survey options and said rental and operational considerations will factor into hiring and the FY‑budget presentation to the General Budget Committee, which is tentatively scheduled for January 31.
Conklin provided contact information for HR assistance and offered to prepare a draft request to fill and a posting for the board to review. The board agreed to take no final hiring actions at this meeting and to return with details after additional internal discussion about office location and remote‑work preferences.
