Our Search Service Goes Further to Include:

1. Deep Stakeholder Engagement: Zeal doesn’t just check the box—we engage with purpose. Our experienced team meets in person with your community and uses tools like ThoughtExchange to gather real-time, inclusive input from all stakeholders. We meet people where they are, honor their values, and ensure the community’s voice shapes the search—building trust and clarity around the kind of leader your district truly needs.

2. Superintendent Personas that Fit: While superintendents are expected to be experts across many areas of education, the reality is that each leader brings unique strengths. Zeal has identified six Superintendent Personas that bring a candidate’s skills and dispositions into focus:

We work closely with Boards to identify the leadership profile that best aligns with their district’s culture and needs—then recruit candidates who are not only strong on paper, but the right fit in practice. 

3. Leadership Support Beyond the Hire: At Zeal, we know a successful superintendent starts with a strong, trust-based relationship with the Board. We facilitate your first retreat—grounded in insights from our community engagement process—to build alignment, trust, and a cohesive leadership team. We also develop a personalized Entry Plan and provide 12 months of leadership coaching to ensure your new leader is supported, connected, and ready to thrive.