Aspen attorney Ben Genshaft joins Waas Campbell Rivera Johnson & Velasquez LLP

Long-time Roaring Fork Valley attorney Ben Genshaft has recently joined the law firm of Waas Campbell Rivera Johnson & Velasquez LLP as a partner. Mr. Genshaft’s practice focuses on residential and commercial real estate transactions, including purchase and sale agreements and residential and commercial leases. He joins partners Bart Johnson and Cheryl Velasquez in the Aspen office of Waas Campbell Rivera Johnson & Velasquez. The firm, which also has a Denver office, specializes in real estate and land use, commercial litigation, construction law and eminent domain.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2020

Contact: Nina Eisenstat

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Aspen Marketing and Communications 970.315.2120 nina@aspenmarketer.com

Aspen School District Superintendent Search Advances to First Slate of Candidates

Community participation and input remain a top priority for the board

(Aspen, CO) — The Board of Education for the Aspen School District announced that it has selected a slate of superintendent candidates for a first round of interviews to be held February 3 – 5, 2020 in Aspen.

Hiring a new superintendent has been a top priority for the board which includes Susan Marolt, Suzy Zimet, Dwayne Romero and newly elected members Jonathan Nickell and Katy Frisch.

The board is working with the education consulting and executive search firm, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA). HYA president Glenn “Max” McGee and associate Dallas Strawn, both of whom have extensive education expertise and career experience as school district superintendents, are leading the customized search. The board tasked the firm with casting a wide net to recruit the most qualified applicants consistent with the detailed hiring criteria expressed by the board and the community.

At the outset of the process, the firm conducted extensive public outreach to develop a detailed ​leadership profile​ which serves as the customized job description for the position. Input was gathered from over 27 individual and group interviews, focus groups, an on-site community forum, a virtual community forum, and an online survey. Participants identified the district’s strengths, challenges, and the specific characteristics and skill sets expected of a new superintendent.

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Aspen School District BOE Superintendent Search PR Page 2 of 2

The national search yielded a pool of 24 qualified candidates that were screened and interviewed by the firm and presented to the board. After careful review, eight candidates were selected for a slate of first-round interviews. Consistent with state law, the identity of candidates at this preliminary phase of the process remains confidential.

Susan Marolt, board president, commented, “Our board is impressed with the quality and diversity of the slated candidates, the depth of their advanced preparation, and the thoughtfulness with which they responded to the written portion of the application. We look forward to the upcoming interviews to further evaluate the ideal candidates for the Aspen School District.”

An advisory group of parents, students, teachers, staff and the community-at-large is being formed to assist the board at the final stage of the interview process. An organizational meeting for those interested in participating in the advisory group is scheduled for Wednesday, January 29 at 4:00 p.m. in the district board room in the Aspen High School. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.

Aspen School District Superintendent Search Timeline:

December 2, 2019 Planning meeting with Board COMPLETED December 2 Online survey open 12/5 COMPLETED December 16 Online survey closes 12/20 COMPLETED December – February Advertising COMPLETED

December 2 – 18 Stakeholder interviews/focus groups/forums COMPLETED

December 2 – January 18 Applications and recruiting COMPLETED

January 6, 2020 Presentation of Leadership Profile Report (1/6 board meeting) COMPLETED January 1 – 17 HYA screening interviews/vetting COMPLETED

January 21 HYA presents slate COMPLETED

January 29 Advisory Group introductory meeting

February 3 – 5 Board first round interviews

February 3 – 10 Advisory Group meeting (one meeting with two time options)

February 10 Board meets to identify semi-finalists

February 20 – 22 Board second round interviews

February 21 – 22 Board meets to determine finalist(s)

February 27 Baker-Eubanks background check

March 2 Board conducts final interview(s) with Advisory Group participation

March 23 Board site visit(s) (optional)

March 15 or April 6 Superintendent’s hiring approved and announced

July 1 Superintendent formally begins work

Summer or Fall 2020 Retreat with Board and new Superintendent