RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — Richland School District Two has announced three finalists for the role of District Superintendent, five months after Dr. Baron Davis left the role.
After a nationwide search, the district's Board of Trustees has narrowed the pool of applicants for the position to three finalists:
- Dr. Nia Campbell, Chief Academic Officer for the Aurora Public Schools in Aurora, Colorado;
- Dr. Benjamin Henry, Regional Superintendent of the Polk County Schools in Polk County, Florida; and
- Dr. Kim Moore, Assistant Superintendent of Career and Innovative Programs in the Pasco County School District of Florida.
Officials say the national search resulted in 39 applicants from 20 states aspiring to lead the fifth-largest school district in South Carolina.
The finalists will each spend a day in Columbia June 20-22 for interviews. Key partners, including parents, students, teachers, administrators, business and community leaders, who were selected from the district's advisory councils using a lottery system, will have the opportunity to serve on interview panels.
The visits will conclude with a special called board meetings for an in-depth closed-door interview with the Board of Trustees.
Officials say the final selection is scheduled for Friday, June 23rd at the 1 p.m. special called board meeting. A formal hiring announcement is expected to be made at the regular board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 27th at 5:30 p.m.
Here's what we know about the three finalists.
Dr. Nia Campbell
Dr. Nia Campbell currently serves as the Chief Academic Officer for Aurora Public Schools in Aurora, Colorado, where she is responsible for overseeing The Division of Equity in Learning and 53 school sites.
In her current role, Campbell serves 38,000 students from 130 countries speaking over 160 languages, of which 74 percent receive free or reduced lunch, and 78 percent are within communities of color.
Prior to her current role, Campbell was the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Programs for The School Board of Highlands County, an all-Title I school system in Florida.
Throughout her career in public education, she has served as a high school math teacher, assistant principal, and principal. Dr. Campbell earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Wagner College and her master’s degree in educational leadership from National Louis University. She also earned her educational specialist degree and doctorate in educational leadership from Argosy University. In post-secondary service, Dr. Campbell is an adjunct professor committed to the adult education of doctoral candidates.
During Campbell's undergraduate time, she played NCAA Division 1 Basketball and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Dr. Campbell is married with three children and enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Dr. Benjamin Henry
For the last four years, Dr. Benjamin Henry has served as the Regional Superintendent of the Polk County Schools in Polk County, Florida, where he is responsible for overseeing 29 schools.
Henry has two decades of experience as a public school educator. He began his career in education as a special education teacher in Polk County, Florida, then as a middle school math teacher in Hillsborough County, Florida. He later returned to Polk County where he served as a principal, where he was able to guide his title one school to one of Florida’s highest distinctions as a school of excellence. Henry was appointed by the Governor to serve on the state’s Education Ethics Committee.
Officials say Henry’s career in education has been guided by the following values: Equity, Integrity, Inclusion, Collaboration, Respect, and Innovation, and the principles of equity are deeply ingrained in his approach to education.
Henry's mother grew up as a sharecropper's daughter in South Carolina and struggled as a student due to a lack of resources. Throughout his education, she instilled a dedication to service, hard work, and ensuring that all students receive a world-class education, regardless of their background.
Henry earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from Alabama State University, a master’s degree in computer information systems, and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership.
Henry says his greatest source of pride is his family. Dr. Henry and his wife Valarie, an educator herself, are proud parents of three children. In his spare time, Dr. Henry enjoys playing golf, eating good food and spending time with his family.
Dr. Kim Moore
Dr. Kim Moore is the Assistant Superintendent of Career and Innovative Programs in the Pasco County School District of Florida, leading their workforce development programs, PreK-12 STEM/STEAM schools, and technical college.
Moore is a retired U.S. Army Chemical Corps Officer, Adjunct Faculty Member for Nova Southeastern University, and Executive Director for Maxwell Leadership.
Moore says she is passionate about leadership and education, and her philosophy is to lead by example.
During Moore’s military career, she served in numerous leadership positions, specializing in Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) Weapons, and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Her last assignment was at The Pentagon as Assistant for Negotiations, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of the Army.
Moore started her second career in education after retiring from the military and has held various leadership positions, including Teacher, Administrator, Principal, Director, and Assistant Superintendent.
In her current role, Moore also leads the District’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiative and developed the District Access and Opportunity Statement for more than 9,000 employees and 80,000 students.
Moore holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Widener University, where she majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry, a Master's degree in Administration from Central Michigan University, an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, and a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership with a major in Organizational Leadership and a minor in Urban Education from Nova Southeastern University.