Case Study

Finding a CEO ready to lead a coalition, not just run an organization.

UP Partnership·Executive Search·San Antonio, TX·2025
8-12
Candidates advanced to interview
3
Finalists presented to the board
3 months
From first interview to signed offer

UP Partnership needed a leader who could hold a coalition together, not just run an organization. We built this search to prove a candidate could do exactly that before the board ever made an offer.

Mike Montoya, Founder and CEO, Stronger Consulting
The Challenge

A coalition CEO, not just an organization's

UP Partnership needed a Chief Executive Officer who could lead a coalition, not just an organization. The role reports directly to an active, engaged Board of Directors and sits at the center of a regional plan with hundreds of millions of dollars riding on its execution.

First
Coalition-scale leadership.

The role required building credibility and leading across more than 90 community partners spanning K-12, higher education, philanthropy, government, and the corporate sector, not just managing internal staff.

Then
Continuity through transition.

An interim CEO had steadied UP Partnership since October 2024; the board needed a permanent leader ready to build on that footing without losing momentum.

Also
Plan-critical execution.

The incoming CEO needed to be ready on day one to carry forward the Future Ready Bexar County plan, since a significant share of the organization's funding is tied to its implementation.

The Approach

The Stronger approach

First
Candidate Profile & Calibration.

Ran a listening tour with the board and staff, then built and calibrated an Ideal Candidate Profile with the board before sourcing began.

Then
National Search & Evaluation.

Conducted resume review, an extended written application, and phone interviews, then advanced candidates through board interviews and a performance task with panel discussion.

Next
Finalist Selection & Offer Support.

Presented three finalists for in-person interviews with the full committee, then guided reference checks and offer negotiation through to a signed offer.

The Outcomes

What UP Partnership gained

New CEO in place
Dr. Cathy Jones named UP Partnership's Chief Executive Officer, effective July 14, 2025.
Rigor built the board's confidence
A multi-stage evaluation, from Ideal Candidate Profile calibration through a performance task and panel discussion, gave the board direct evidence of coalition-building and education-sector leadership before any offer went out.
Continuity protected through the handoff
A structured transition and onboarding plan connected the incoming CEO directly with the outgoing interim leader, so momentum on the Future Ready plan did not stall.
Speed without shortcuts
A signed offer landed in about three months, the product of a full national search and staged vetting process rather than a compressed one.

Thanks to Stronger Consulting's thoughtful process and deep experience, we found the right person to lead UP Partnership forward. The tools, interview frameworks, and performance tasks helped us make a confident, well-informed decision. We especially appreciated the structured approach and clarity at every stage of the search.

Elaine Mendoza, Board Chair, UP Partnership

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