BY MATTHEW E. MILLIKEN

mmilliken@heraldsun.com; 419-6684

DURHAM -- After 33 years in education, Hank Hurd is about to hold a job he never anticipated having.

Hurd, the chief operating officer of the Durham public school system, was named interim superintendent Tuesday night by unanimous vote of the Durham school board. The 56-year-old will take his new post on Jan. 1, the day outgoing Superintendent Carl Harris becomes deputy assistant secretary for policy and strategic initiatives with the U.S. Department of Education.

Hurd intends to continue serving as the district's COO while he holds down the superintendent's job and will resume COO duties full-time when the board names a permanent replacement for Harris.

"I'm very excited about the opportunity to lead the district between now and when they find the superintendent," Hurd said minutes after the vote.

Hurd came to Durham in 2002 after serving three years as a top financial and business officer with the state Department of Public Instruction. He worked for 23 years in Harnett County's school system, finishing there as assistant superintendent for administration.

Hurd was recently named a top chief financial officer by Business Leader magazine's Triangle edition.

The newly named interim school chief said his focus would be on continuing current academic initiatives. One of his key tasks will be to assemble the 2010-11 budget.

Hurd said that he was not consulted about serving as temporary district leader prior to the vote. He was glad that an internal interim leader was taken, however.

"I view this as an affirmation of what we do as an executive leadership team," Hurd said.

Minnie Forte-Brown, the school board chairwoman, said as much when asked why Hurd was chosen.

"The key reason is that we want as little disruption ... as possible and we have an excellent leadership team," she stated after Tuesday's special meeting ended.

Hurd is one of two chief officers in the district. His counterpart is Terri Mozingo, the chief academic officer. Both report directly to the superintendent.

Forte-Brown deflected questions on whether the board had given consideration to elevating Mozingo to the interim post, noting that the district can't function without a healthy operations side.

Tuesday's specially called meeting consisted of a roughly 45-minute-long closed session followed by a 25-minute open session. The first order of business for the public portion was voting in Hurd, which took place without discussion.

Then Forte-Brown discussed next steps for replacing Harris. They involve evaluating proposals from three search firms that were recommended by the Broad Foundation: Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates of Glenview, Ill.; Ray and Associates of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Jim Huge and Associates of San Francisco.

All are familiar with urban school districts and may know or attract a different set of candidates than the North Carolina School Boards Association, which also provides search services, Forte-Brown said.

The search firms' proposals, which are due Friday, will be considered alongside proposals from the School Boards Association and from the Center for Reform of School Systems of Houston, which trains school boards on searches. The board plans to select a search firm at its regular monthly meeting on Nov. 19.

The board will not make its selection solely on cost, Forte-Brown and other members said.

Also Tuesday, the board announced the first component of a public engagement strategy for the superintendent search: a Dec. 1 "kitchen table conversation" at which the board will solicit public input on the qualities Durham residents want in their next school chief.

Those interested in attending should call (919) 560-3652 or register online at www.dpsnc.net/forms/ktc-registration.

School board members said they would consider holding additional public sessions. They also suggested that a survey on desired qualities for the next superintendent would almost certainly be conducted.