On May 12th, the Beachwood Board of Education began a search to fill the district’s new director of development position. Now the process is nearing completion and the selected candidate is expected to be announced soon, Superintendent Dr. Richard Markwardt said.

Doug Levin, the district’s director of marketing and communications, previously held the title of director of marketing and development.

The difference, Markwardt said, is that marketing relates more to creating a brand for the district. Development, however, is related more to raising money from non-traditional sources.

“It was determined by the Board they’re really two distinct skill sets,” Markwardt said of the decision to alter Levin’s title.

“Both [jobs] require a lot of interaction with elements of the public, with organizational leaders, business leaders [and] leaders in higher education. Any potential partners for the school district would require contact and interaction with both the [director of marketing and communications] and the director of development,” he said.

Principal Ed Klein said he approves of the new position.

“I think that this continues to develop Beachwood as a leader in education,” Klein said. “We seek to provide the best quality education for all of our students and this just further enables us to do that.”

While directors of development aren’t common in public school districts, they are often found in private schools, Markwardt said.

Markwardt said the district decided to seek a director of development to assist with funding future projects and ease the burden for taxpayers.

“It’s a little bit different trying to raise private donations for a public institution than it is to raise private donations for a private institution,” Markwardt said.

“Because people look at us and, especially in a district such as ours, say ‘You have the ability to put this on the ballot, why don’t you just do it? You’ve never failed a levy, why don’t you just go ask people to support this one?’” Markwardt noted.

He continued that the district does not want voters to think they are being taken advantage of, hence the addition of a director of development position.

“We’re incredibly grateful for [the voters’ support] and we feel that we have to show the voters that we do explore other sources of revenue,” he said.

“We don’t always want to go back to the voters,” Markwardt said.

“They’ve always been generous enough and supportive enough to say ‘yes’ to us. We don’t ever want to get them to a point where they resent us and say ‘no,’” he said.

“I think it’s an interesting decision,” Klein said, “as Beachwood continues to address the needs … that the school system has, this is a way that Beachwood can continue to … develop as a leading school system in Ohio.”

According to the Board of Education’s posted job description, the director of development’s responsibilities include assisting “the Superintendent and/or designee in all matters of development,” and crafting a “comprehensive development plan that encompasses both long-range goals and short-term objects.”

The director of development, which the district defines as a “supervisory level position,” reporting directly to the superintendent, and is expected to network and grow relationships with “stakeholders and the public through coordinated promotion of the District’s programs, services and accomplishments,” and secure funding for certain district projects through donations, grants, and other contributions.

Markwardt said the director of development could also recruit others who can assist the district with their expertise and career experience, rather than monetarily.

While the director of development position is part-time, Markwardt said the hours are not conventional, due to networking events. But, if done properly, he explained, it could become a position of 75% worktime, with the possibility of reaching full-time at some point.

“Since we’re getting into this now, we thought that we would see what happens as a part-time position,” he said.

“It’s a position, which, if done correctly … should more than sustain itself,” he added.

“We’ve interviewed several [candidates],” Markwardt said, adding that the field has now been limited down to two individuals.

“We’re looking for somebody who has a proven track record, … so that we’re not teaching them how to do it.”

Markwardt said the district hopes to announce the selected candidate within the month. The director’s annual salary will be about $30,000 to $40,000, he said.

However, Markwardt hopes the district’s return on investment far surpasses that amount.

“A good director of development brings in far more money for the schools than they take out in salary and benefits.”