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Dr. Lisa N. HerringSuperintendent-
Jerod BishopChief of Staff -
Dr. Tauheedah Baker-JonesChief Equity & Social Justice Officer -
Lisa BrackenChief Financial Officer -
Yolonda BrownChief Academic Officer -
Nicole LawsonChief Human Resources Officer -
Nina GuptaGeneral Counsel -
Larry HoskinsChief of Operations -
Dr. Matthew SmithChief Performance Officer and Interim Chief Schools Officer -
Travis NorvellChief Strategy & Engagement Officer -
Dorna F. WerdelinChief Communications Officer
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Dr. Lisa Herring
Superintendent
Embracing a passionate belief that education is the greatest equalizer, Dr. Herring believes in the inner strength, power, and talent of all children. Success, she says, does not rest on where we begin in life but how each of us maximizes our talents and pursues our purpose. The concept is critical in serving, supporting and educating children and future leaders.
A Macon, Georgia, native and graduate of both Spelman College and Georgia Southern University, Dr. Herring established her professional career by teaching in both public and private schools in urban and rural settings. These experiences allow her to impact the lives of students from diverse social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds.
Travis Norvell
Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer
Travis Norvell has served in strategy management and engagement roles with Atlanta Public Schools for more than ten years and is currently the Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer. The Office of Strategy & Engagement is a driving force, creating a culture of collaboration and engagement with internal and external stakeholders, while ensuring the values of the organization are in alignment with the established mission and vision.
Prior to working for Atlanta Public Schools, Travis developed national strategies and policies at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and supported the Afghanistan and Colombia programs with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Travis received both his Bachelor of Science in Political Sciences and Music and a Master of Public Policy (Education Policy) at Vanderbilt University. Travis is an APS parent and lives in Lake Claire with his wife and three children.
Areas of Responsibility
Tauheedah Baker-Jones
Chief Equity & Social Justice Officer
As Chief Equity and Social Justice Officer, Dr. Tauheedah Baker-Jones is responsible for leading the district’s efforts to build a culture of equity and inclusion for all students, families, and employees. In this role, Dr. Baker-Jones provides the strategic direction for the district’s Equity Strategy and Coherence Team, Office of Federal Programs, Organizational Ombuds and Office of Family Engagement as well as working with other divisions, departments and schools to ensure that district programming and operations is conducted through the lens of equity.
Dr. Baker-Jones brings a wealth of diverse professional experience to this position as well as 19 years of expertise which she uses in supporting the district’s mission and serving its students.
Prior to joining Atlanta Public Schools in 2020, Dr. Baker-Jones held multiple leadership roles, including serving as a Program Director at Urban Arts Partnership in New York City, a Principal and Superintendent of a social-justice themed charter district in New Jersey, a Senior Fellow at the Georgia Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, Senior Strategic Advisor to the Superintendent at Atlanta Public Schools, and currently serves on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Education to Workforce Advisory Board.
She completed her general studies at Howard University and earned a B.A. with honors in History and Near-Eastern Languages and Culture from UCLA. She also earned a M.Ed. in Urban Education and Social Justice Pedagogy from UCLA, a M.P.A. in Nonprofit Management from Rutgers University, and an Ed.L.D. from Harvard University.
Areas of Responsibility
Jerod Bishop
Chief of Staff
As Chief of Staff, Mr. Jerod Bishop is responsible for ensuring proper coordination of activities and priorities within the school district’s major functional areas of administration. He provides operational assistance by managing special projects, leading key initiatives, and resolving complex issues. He also serves as a key strategic planner, advisor, decision-maker, and problem solver for the Superintendent.
In this role, Mr. Bishop provides the strategic direction for the school district’s Communications & Public Engagement, Policy & Governance, Charter Systems, Partnerships & Development, Strategy Management and Organizational Change. As well as coordinating and supporting other functions of the Senior Cabinet.
After spending a short period of time in corporate America, Mr. Bishop began his journey in K-12 education over 12 years ago starting as a paraprofessional and student shadow. After falling in love with serving students and families, Mr. Bishop left the classroom setting and joined district central office operations in 2011.
Prior to joining Atlanta Public Schools in 2020, Mr. Bishop held multiple leadership roles starting in his home district of Darlington County School District, Darlington, SC; Charleston County School District, Charleston, SC; and Birmingham City Schools, Birmingham, AL. Mr. Bishop has held district level roles that include Executive Administrative Assistant, Academic Project Manager, Equity & Access Manager, Special Assistant to Superintendent & Board, and Executive Coordinator for Policy, Governance & External Affairs.
He earned his undergraduate degree from Coker College (now Coker University) in Business Administration in Hartsville, SC. He has also earned a Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Project Management Certification, and Leadership Certification in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives. He is also a 2018 fellow of Harvard University’s Public Education Leadership Project.
Areas of Responsibility
Lisa Bracken
Chief Financial Officer
Lisa Bracken was named Chief Financial Officer of Atlanta Public Schools in September of 2017. As CFO, Lisa leads several key business functions including accounting, payroll, benefits & risk management, procurement & logistics, and budget. During her tenure, she led the district through the process of adopting a weighted student funding formula, positioning equity at the forefront of school allocations. She brings more than 16 years experience in public education budget and finance including her previous work in Fulton County School System.
Lisa is an influential leader who serves on several financial committees and boards and was nominated for the Atlanta Business Chronicle CFO of The Year Award for 2018.
As a subject matter expert, she has presented at numerous conferences across the country sharing her strategic initiatives to support growth and maximize benefit across several networks. Lisa has her bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. She’s currently in an Educational Leadership program at Georgia State University.
Areas of Responsibility
Yolonda Brown
Chief Academic Officer
As Chief Academic Officer (CAO) Ms. Yolonda Brown is responsible for setting the strategic vision and direction for the instructional framework and approach to Atlanta Public Schools’ academic programs and is a key lever to accomplish the district’s academic goals. In this role, Ms. Brown provides the strategic direction for the school district’s Teaching and Learning, Student Support Services and Instructional Technology Departments, as well as works to build authentic partnerships between district offices and schools to ensure closer alignment of district resources with school needs, to implement an instructional plan for the district.
Ms. Brown brings a wealth of diverse professional experience to this position as well as over 25+ years of service which she uses in supporting the district’s mission and serving its students.
Prior to being selected as the Chief Academic Officer for Atlanta Public Schools in November 2020, Yolonda held multiple leadership roles within APS including previously serving as a District Level Model Teacher Leader, Elementary School Principal (Founding Principal of Springdale Park Elementary School (SPARK) and Associate Superintendent of Schools.
She earned a B.A. Degree in Elementary Education at Clemson University in Clemson, SC, a M.Ed. in Middle Grades Education, with a concentration in Science at Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia and a Leadership Certification at Clark-Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Areas of Responsibility
Nicole Lawson
Chief Human Resources Officer
As Chief Human Resources Officer, Mrs. Nicole Lawson is responsible for the recruitment, selection, staffing, compensation, development, performance management, and retention for over 6,000 employees across 70 urban schools in the capital city of Atlanta, Georgia. In that role, Mrs. Lawson provides the strategic direction for the departments of Employee Relations, Talent Management and Human Resource (HR) Services, as well as employee well-being.
Nicole has over 21 years of experience in human resources management for K-12 public education. While previously serving as Executive Director of Talent Management for the district, Nicole consistently met our district talent targets including having less than ten vacancies at the start of the school year for seven (7) consecutive years. She has wealth of experience and knowledge in managing HR systems, processes, and leading high-performing teams. Nicole received Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources Management from Georgia Southern University and a Master of Business Administration in Human Resources Management from University of Phoenix. She is also a certified professional in human resources (PHR) and a member of the inaugural cohort of the Urban Schools Human Capital Academy.
As a third generation Atlantan, Nicole is a proud graduate of Atlanta Public Schools – D. M. Therrell High. Growing up in Southwest Atlanta, she knows first-hand that quality educators can change the trajectory of students’ lives. Nicole takes great pride in being a part of the APS community and as a daughter of a former APS educator and principal, she witnessed the countless hours and days of preparation our staff endure off the clock to bring forth impactful lessons to our students every day. Nicole’s passion for equipping and empowering all staff members is born in her belief that the students of Atlanta deserve no less than their absolute best effort each and every day.
Areas of Responsibility
Larry Hoskins
Chief of Operations
As Chief of Operations, Mr. Larry Hoskins is responsible for district support operations. In that role, Mr. Hoskins provides the strategic direction for the school district’s Student Transportation Services, Facilities Services, Capital Development and Construction, Nutrition Services, Safety and Security and Athletics.
Mr. Hoskins brings a wealth of diverse professional experience to this position as well as 25+ years of expertise which he uses in supporting the district’s mission and serving its students.
Prior to joining Atlanta Public Schools in 2009, Mr. Hoskins held multiple leadership roles including previously serving as the Deputy Superintendent of Operations, Columbus City Schools, Columbus, Ohio, and as the Chief of Business Operations, Dayton Public Schools, Dayton, Ohio.
He earned a B.S. in Human Factors Engineering at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado and is a distinguished graduate of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida.
Areas of Responsibility
Matt Smith
Chief Performance Officer
As Chief Performance Officer, Dr. Matt Smith is responsible for the implementation of technology, the gathering, analysis, and oversight of student data and information, as well as the strategic development of systems of district innovation and continuous improvement. In that role, Dr. Smith provides the strategic direction for the school district’s departments of Data & Information, Information Technology, as well as the department of Innovation, Improvement, and Redesign.
Dr. Smith brings a wealth of diverse professional experience to this position as well as 15 years of service which he uses in supporting the district’s mission and serving its students.
Prior to joining Atlanta Public Schools in 2021, Dr. Smith held multiple leadership roles across several organizations including Clayton County (GA) Public Schools as K-12 Social Studies Curriculum Director, Assistant Principal, and Principal, Birmingham City Schools (Birmingham, AL) as Special Assistant to the Superintendent, and the A+ Education Partnership (Montgomery, AL) as Vice President of Policy.
He earned a B.A. in History at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA, an M.A.T. in Secondary Social Science at Mercer University in Atlanta, GA, an Ed.S in Education Leadership at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, GA, and an Ed.L.D. in Education Leadership from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Areas of Responsibility
Nina Gupta
General Counsel
As General Counsel, Ms. Nina Gupta is responsible for all legal affairs and serves as the chief legal advisor to the Board and Atlanta Public Schools. In that role, Ms. Gupta provides the strategic direction for the school district’s Office of General Counsel, as well as providing legal and strategic advice to help all divisions within Atlanta Public Schools achieve their mission and goals while remaining in legal compliance.
Ms. Gupta brings a wealth of diverse professional experience to this position as well as 20 years of expertise which she uses in supporting the district’s mission and serving its students.
Prior to being appointed Atlanta Public Schools’ General Counsel in 2019, Ms. Gupta held multiple leadership roles, including previously serving as Deputy General Counsel to Atlanta Public Schools. She is a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough and has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer in the field of education law by The Legal 500 and has been repeatedly recognized as a Georgia Super Lawyer.
She earned a B.A., with Honors, in Psychology at the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, and a J.D. from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Dorna F. Werdelin
Chief Communications Officer
As Chief Communications Officer (CCO), Ms. Werdelin oversees the Office of Communications, and is responsible for developing and executing the communications and public relations strategy, specifically media relations, graphic design, District branding and reputation management, internal and external communications, and social media/content management.
Dorna has 25+ years of experience in communications & public affairs, government & community relations, and workforce development. Prior to being selected as the CCO, Ms. Werdelin served as Vice President of communications, marketing and public relations at Atlanta Technical College where she elevated the College through awareness and promotion of its award-winning programs, faculty, staff, and students. Ms. Werdelin served in numerous leadership roles in the state of Georgia government, including Communications and Learning Officer with the Georgia Department of Administrative Services. She also served on the state’s inaugural Communications Governance Council for Georgia state purchasing as a legislative liaison. Ms. Werdelin was employed at Hess Oil Virgin Islands prior to her work in the state of Georgia, where, as the Deputy Information Officer and government liaison, she was responsible for community outreach programs and organizational training.
Dorna began her career at Upscale Magazine shortly after graduating from Spelman College in Atlanta; then moved back to St. Croix, USVI, to serve as the Director of Training and Government Relations for a vocational training school that partnered with the USVI Department of Labor to provide employability skills and career services for displaced and dislocated workers. It is during this time that she developed a passion for serving the community’s most vulnerable citizens and promoting awareness of the contributions they made to society despite their socio-economic status. Ms. Werdelin currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Children’s Shelter. She earned an MBA with a concentration in Human Resources Management from Baker College of Graduate Studies and a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Management & Organization from Spelman College.
Areas of Responsibility
