Alamo Colleges District | Northwest Lakeview College Case Study
Finding the “Unicorn” Leader for Nursing Education
When Northwest Lakeview College, part of the Alamo Colleges District, sought to fill a critical leadership role in nursing, they faced a significant challenge. The Executive Director of Nursing position had been open for over six months, with attempts to fill it internally and through another search firm proving unsuccessful. The combination of clinical expertise, higher education leadership, and Board-level proposal experience made this a niche and highly competitive search.
Scion Executive Search (SES) was brought in to find a candidate who could deliver immediate results, bring operational excellence, and lead with credibility in both the clinical and academic spaces.
The Situation
This was a new role, and Northwest Lakeview College needed a proven leader to oversee nursing programs, manage faculty, and interface effectively with the Board of Education. Past attempts to fill the position had stalled, reflecting both the limited talent pool and the specific skillset required.
Key stakeholders included the College President, Dean, and HR Talent Acquisition team, all focused on finding a candidate who combined clinical credibility with academic leadership and strategic vision.
The Approach
To streamline the hiring process and address the urgency of the search, SES implemented a targeted, high-touch strategy centered on a calibrated success profile and rigorous candidate mapping within higher education nursing. The team utilized diverse slating goals and competency-based evaluations including work samples and specific exercises to ensure only the most qualified talent reached the final stages. Throughout the engagement, SES maintained momentum through weekly reporting and stakeholder alignment, eventually facilitating a seamless selection with detailed reference checks and offer calibration. This expedited approach concluded with a structured onboarding plan designed to accelerate the new hire’s impact within their first 90 days.
The Outcome
SES presented a diverse, high-quality slate of candidates:
- Five women and two men
- Time to first slate: 11 days
- Verbal offer accepted: 5 weeks from engagement start
The chosen candidate brought extensive experience as Campus President at Chamberlain University, combining clinical expertise, operational leadership, and Board-level proposal experience. They accepted the offer and began leading Northwest Lakeview College’s nursing programs.
The identified hire proved to be a “unicorn” candidate whose culture and technical aptitude aligned perfectly with the College’s unique needs. Bringing deep clinical and operational leadership experience alongside an extensive network within the Texas higher education landscape, they offered the specific expertise in proposal writing and Board engagement necessary for program approval and funding. This combination of skills and leadership style enabled the College to achieve in a single year what previously took multiple years; Board proposals were approved on the first submission, and significant operational efficiencies were realized in areas such as lab setup, equipment procurement, and curriculum development that typically required expensive outside vendors.
Why This Leader Was the Right Fit
Impact and Future Outlook
The chosen candidate’s leadership has already produced a measurable impact, characterized by first-round Board approvals of program proposals and significant time and cost savings achieved by leveraging her extensive network. These results were further bolstered by rapid operational improvements across curriculum and facilities management. Northwest Lakeview College is thrilled with the partnership and results, noting that the targeted approach and deep understanding of both clinical and academic needs provided by SES were pivotal in identifying such a transformational leader.
