Hopefully, the PNB example will never be used again, in Seattle or anywhere else. I think it is reasonable to make a search public and the final selection and even the process -- X applications received, semi-finalists will be interviewed over Skype, finalists will be flown to [city] for in-person interviews with Board, administration, dancers, backstage, etc. -- but to list the people who are finalists is a horrid idea, however interesting it was to watch. Some of the people who applied had permanent-type jobs, and it would be demoralizing for a company, for example, to learn that, not only did their AD apply, their AD didn't get the job and is there only because s/he didn't get a better offer elsewhere. If a person wants it to get out that he or she was a finalist or rejected for whatever reason, there are plenty of opportunities on social media for the news to get out.