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Florida Virtual School board narrows CEO search to four semifinalists
Summary
The Florida Virtual School Board of Trustees reviewed an HR spreadsheet covering more than 100 applicants and selected four semifinalists (Sam Verghese, Rick — recorded as 'Rick Sorensy' in the tally, David Bolen, and Susan Lopez Valdez) to advance to individual interviews before a March 10 quarterly meeting. Trustees discussed interview logistics and were cautioned that sharing recorded interviews could run afoul of the Sunshine Law.
The Florida Virtual School Board of Trustees on Feb. 26 reviewed a human-resources summary of more than 100 applicants for the system’s next chief executive and voted to advance four semifinalists for one-on-one interviews ahead of the board’s March 10 quarterly meeting.
Katarina Alfaro Lopez, FLVS’s senior HR director, told trustees the board’s spreadsheet "reflects that there were more than 100 applicants," with resumes hyperlinked and sensitive personal information redacted. HR used a uniform screening questionnaire scored 1–3 and an HR rating to evaluate experience and institutional knowledge.
"A score of a 5 means the candidate has FLVS institutional knowledge and 15 plus years of leadership experience and documented experience in a role with an executive level scope similar to a president or a CEO," said Brianna Daley, the talent manager who explained the HR rating scale used in column 11 of the spreadsheet.
After each trustee named up to five preferred applicants, the parliamentarian read vote totals by applicant: Sam Verghese received seven votes; the tally recorded a Rick entry as "Rick Sorensy" with five votes; David Bolen and Susan Lopez Valdez each received four votes; Beth Cooper received two; and several other applicants received one vote each. Trustees debated whether to limit semifinalists to the four applicants with majority support or include additional candidates who had received fewer votes.
Board member Pizzoli moved to advance five named applicants; the motion was amended on the floor to select the top four instead. The board adopted the amendment by voice vote, and the chair declared the motion carried, advancing the four semifinalists to the next stage.
Trustees discussed logistics for interviewing semifinalists. HR staff and the board clerk will coordinate one-on-one interviews between trustees and candidates, and trustees are expected to complete those interviews before the March 10 meeting. Counsel cautioned that recording HR-conducted interviews and circulating those recordings to trustees could create a risk of a Sunshine Law violation and that such recordings, if made, would be public records. Counsel advised that sharing recorded interviews through staff could be interpreted as staff acting as a conduit among trustees and thereby create legal risk.
The board did not hold face-to-face structured interviews of the full applicant pool; HR used a standardized questionnaire and resume review to score candidates and prepared the recommended HR ratings for trustees to review.
The board adjourned after adopting the semifinalist slate and reiterated its goal of selecting a finalist at the March 10 quarterly meeting at the Tripp Scott offices. HR will provide scheduling support and the scoring summary will be included in the minutes.
Votes at a glance: Sam Verghese (7 votes); Rick (tallied as "Rick Sorensy") (5 votes); David Bolen (4 votes); Susan Lopez Valdez (4 votes); Beth Cooper (2 votes); Benny Bolden, Jody Marshall, Michael Meachin (1 vote each).
