W orried about potential cuts to assistant school principals, board members Amy Carney and Carine Werner have been asking Scottsdale Unified School District Superintendent Scott Menzel to look for savings “at the district level.”

Menzel did indeed find funding to keep the assistant principals fully funded.

But one of the moves he promoted as cost savings did not sit well with Carney and Werner.

At the May 13 board meeting, a 3-2 vote approved the job description for a new position: chief communications and information officer.

According to the agenda: “This job description combines two existing positions: Chief Systems Officer and Director of Communications into one. This is a fiscal savings of $133,394.”

Carney and Werner’s problem: Kristine Harrington, the district’s director of communications and marketing, is being placed in a job she helped create.

Carney questioned Harrington’s lack of IT qualifications.

“I understand that you have created this position for Ms. Harrington, our current director of communications and marketing,” Carney said.

“It’s highly concerning.”

Carney said Harrington lacks “a strong technical background.”

Carney questioned why the new job description eliminated many of the technical aspects of the current chief systems officer.

Menzel answered Carney by saying when Michelle Watt, the current chief systems officer, “indicated that she was not going to be returning as our CSO, she suggested one potential opportunity for us was to look at this opportunity to combine these two positions.

“So I have confidence that in her review of what she does day in and day out as our chief systems officer, and knowing the work that Kristine Harrington does … she contemplated the very question that you’re asking.

“And so those two worked together on a new job description.”

Werner seconded Carney’s concerns, adding she was concerned with Harrington co-creating the job description – then getting the new job without the position being posted with interviews.

“Most people have to interview for positions,” Werner said. “So, for someone this (position) to be created by the person taking it over – that’s just really bad for morale.”

According to the agenda material, “The Chief Communications and Information Officer provides visionary leadership and oversight for both the Communications and Information Technology departments within the Scottsdale Unified School District. This cabinet position ensures that the District’s strategic goals are supported through innovative technology infrastructure, digital communications, effective stakeholder engagement, and a robust brand presence.”

The position reports to the SUSD superintendent.

In addition to “demonstrated experience in communications, marketing, public relations, and/or journalism,” the job description for the new position calls for “proven leadership experience in technology administration, systems integration, or IT infrastructure within an educational or public-sector environment.”

• Identify processes needed to transform the technology vision into actionable plans for success.

•Direct, coordinate, and ensure implementation of tasks related to technical needs, scalability infrastructure, implementation standards, and integration of technology into District operations.

•Manage the creation, implementation, modification, review, and enforcement of policies related to technology use across the district.

Board members Donna Lewis, Mike Sharkey and Matt Pittinsky did not share the concerns of Carney and Werner, putting Harrington in the position she helped create by a 3-2 vote.

The Progress posed several questions on the matter to Menzel, who answered via email.

Regarding Harrington’s pay in the new position, Menzel said, “The salary has not been finalized—it will be on the board agenda June 10, but it is an executive administrative position and the starting salary in the range is $133,176.

“Harrington is an exceptional leader with capacity for growth and an interest in taking on this new leadership opportunity,” Menzel added.

“When we have a person on staff who is in a position that is being combined with another that is vacant, we don’t typically post that position because we already have a person in place.

“That means it isn’t an open position,” Menzel continued. If there was no one in either position and we combined them, then we would post.”

Harrington currently earns $112,309.