Of 35 prominent Chief Executive Officers (CEO's) from 10 Canadian provinces participating in this study, 31 were interviewed by telephone and 4 in writing. The vast majority of CEO's (82 percent) agreed that they work in an increasingly political environment. Many CEO's perform a "screening function" between community groups and the school system, working to keep community groups away from the school board except as a last resort. In preparing for school board meetings, CEO's want to anticipate questions and avoid surprises, and at the meetings themselves to maintain a low profile. One common problem in working with school board members was pressing too hard for certain issues. While CEO's are expected to be experienced educators, their administrative roles may vary from politician to mediator. Because CEO's have a high profile in developing policy, they have developed a range of strategies for working with both "internal influencers" (such as board members and principals) and "external influencers" (such as parents and the media) in a variety of forums, from board meetings to luncheons. Such strategies include listening to individuals and groups; following policy where it exists; and maintaining rational, cool behavior. (JBM)