The Alabama Association of School Boards is seeking a visionary, progressive and collaborative leader to serve as its next executive director. The position requires a balance of leadership, interpersonal, financial management and communication skills.

The executive director leads a complex, multifaceted educational and financial organization and oversees a talented team of 15 staff members. The association provides a wide array of services to all public K-12 school boards in Alabama as well as many public charter schools. The executive director works closely with the association’s officers and Board of Directors to develop and implement strategic goals to best serve member boards and Alabama’s students. The executive director also drives the strategic direction of the association’s programming and services and maintains effective relationships with school board members, superintendents, educational organizations and civic-minded groups statewide. The executive director is expected to present a commanding presence within the state and nation.

Professional Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the executive director include:

• Leading the association, including oversight of its affairs;
• Working with the Board of Directors;
• Collaborating with the education community;
• Assuring AASB provides high-quality educational opportunities for members; and
• Working with the Alabama Legislature, state superintendent, State Board of Education and other constitutional officers to develop education laws and policies that serve the best interests of the state’s students.

Qualifications

• Experience as a leader and administrator; advanced degree is preferred.
• A deep understanding of and/or experience with the political process at the local, state and national levels.
• Effective decision-making skills and experience in budget development and financial management.
• Knowledge of state and national challenges and opportunities facing public education.
• Ability to work effectively within the organizational structure of a voluntary association.
• Appreciation for diversity and the opportunities it presents.
• A high level of energy.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Strong advocacy for improving student achievement for all public education students.
• Ability to build, motivate and direct an effective staff.
• Demonstrated ability and commitment to long-range and strategic planning and evaluations.

Compensation & Terms of Agreement

The salary is negotiable based on background and experience. Employment contract provisions will be mutually agreed upon by the successful candidate and Board of Directors. It is anticipated the new executive director will assume office on or before July 1, 2026.

AASB participates in Alabama’s Teacher Retirement System.

Association Programs and Services

Governmental Advocacy
If the state Legislature is in session, AASB is involved. This includes attending sessions and committee meetings in which education-related bills are discussed. AASB also works with the State Board of Education, the state superintendent, the governor’s office and the state’s congressional delegation to impact budget and policy issues.

In addition, the association trains board members to be effective education advocates and coordinates opportunities for members to meet face to face with elected leaders throughout the year.

Leadership Development
Providing school board leaders with quality training is a key tenet of AASB’s mission. Through a comprehensive program of conferences, whole board trainings and online courses, AASB provides members with practical, effective knowledge and tools to serve their students and system. AASB's whole board and customized training sessions allow a board to come together and focus on a particular area of need. AASB also offers an immersive poverty simulation to help boards, administrators, teachers and support staff better understand the communities and students they serve.

AASB holds four statewide meetings annually. The convention and summer conference are three-day sessions focused on an array of timely education topics. Two additional conferences, held in the spring and fall, focus on specific boardmanship skills. AASB also holds annual meetings in each of its nine geographic districts to preview the legislative session and provide training on timely topics.

Legal Support
AASB assists member boards with legal issues in a variety of ways, including training on education-law topics, timely updates and reminders on legal issues and a regular newsletter detailing education-related court rulings. In addition, AASB operates a Legal Assistance Fund, which seeks to intervene in cases that have potential statewide impact, and operates the Alabama Council of School Boards Attorneys, providing education attorneys with resources and training.

Member Services
AASB is committed to providing boards with services targeting areas of need. They include:

• Searching for a superintendent;
• Evaluating a superintendent or chief school finance officer;
• Developing a strategic plan;
• Resolving conflict and improving communication;
• Coordinating reimbursement for funds spent on Medicaid-related services for students;
• Evaluating and updating policies; and
• Staying abreast of laws and regulations that impact policy.

Risk Management 
For 40 years, AASB has provided local school boards with liability coverage that would be unaffordable on the open market. The Alabama Trust for Boards of Education is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, member-owned, member-governed self-funded risk management trust funding selected general liability/errors and omissions liability exposures. ATBE has a board of trustees as well as a full-time consultant who manages the program. The AASB executive director serves as the board’s treasurer.

Additional information about AASB can be found at AlabamaSchoolBoards.org. 

Application Process

All applications will be taken through Frontline, AASB’s online application system, Applitrack.com/alabamaschoolboards/onlineapp. If this is your first time applying for an AASB-led search via Frontline, you must first create a user account and password.

Next, log in, complete the online profile, choose to apply for this search and upload a letter of interest and up to three letters of reference.

You also must have an official transcript sent directly to AASB from the institution that granted the highest degree.

If you have previously applied to an AASB-led search and already have a Frontline account, simply log in, choose to apply for this search, answer the questions specific to this search and upload the letter of interest.

Email TWright@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org to have AASB upload the official copy of your transcript if it is not yet part of your online file; it is not necessary to have another copy sent.

The Board of Directors may interview some or all of the finalists. AASB does not intend to publicly announce the list of applicants and will make every effort to keep candidates’ names confidential.

Send Transcript To:
Executive Director Search
Alabama Association of School Boards
PO Box 4980
Montgomery, AL 36103-4980
Or TWright@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org

Applications must be submitted and transcripts received by February 18, 2026. The first round of interviews will be March 5.

For additional information, 
contact AASB Consultant Susan Salter
at 334-649-9292 or SusanRSalter@gmail.com 

AASB is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate on the basis of a person’s race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, genetics, veteran status, or any other personal characteristic protected by law.