Chicago Public Schools needed to fill the Chief Portfolio Officer role, an executive seat with direct responsibility for the district's portfolio of schools. Then the ground shifted: a mayoral transition put the search on pause at a moment when the district could least afford a prolonged leadership gap.
Stronger ran a targeted nationwide search built to reach candidates who could bridge district central office leadership with genuine portfolio strategy expertise. When the mayoral election concluded in 2019, we relaunched with clarified expectations and a focused slate rather than restarting from zero.
Stronger placed Bing Howell as Chief Portfolio Officer, a leader whose background connected central office experience with the portfolio strategy the role demanded. Five years later he remains in the seat, still overseeing the district's portfolio work.
Stronger Consulting partners with mission-driven organizations to turn complex challenges into clear, practical action, from strategy through implementation.
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