Hamilton County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Justin Robertson last week announced the appointment of Dr. Zac Brown as the school district’s new chief talent officer.
Dr. Brown, who has served as the Hamilton County Schools director of Induction and Leadership Development since 2020, will be responsible for leading the Human Resources and Benefits team that is committed to supporting student achievement by recruiting, retaining, and developing high-quality leaders, teachers, and support staff for Hamilton County Schools.
The team works alongside school leaders to build and support a talented workforce to benefit Hamilton County students and the community. According to Robertson, the chief talent officer is vital to the district’s success.
“Given the current competitiveness of the job market and the important role our employees play in the future of Hamilton County, it is critical that our Talent Department use both proven and innovative practices to recruit and retain the best talent possible for our school system,” Robertson said. “As our director of Induction and Leadership Development, Dr. Brown has overseen the implementation of innovative strategies like our LEAD program for leadership development and Grow Your Own, which provides a pathway for non-teacher employees to become classroom teachers.”
Superintendent Robertson continued, “Additionally, Dr. Brown has managed our new teacher induction program, which identifies, recruits, and hires new teachers and provides comprehensive support for them during their first three years of service. As a result, we are seeing a nearly 90% retention rate for our newest educators. I believe Dr. Brown’s knowledge and experience will provide us the leadership we need to continue moving our district forward in the days, weeks and months ahead.”
Prior to becoming the director of Induction and Leadership Development, Dr. Brown spent three years as the director of Secondary Schools, Opportunity Zone. In this role, he implemented School Improvement Plans across each campus and executed solutions to enhance student performance, teacher attendance, dropout rates, and more.
He also oversaw the execution of school-wide behavior programs to equip all students with the supports and opportunities needed to meet high behavior expectations.
During his time in Hamilton County Schools, Dr. Brown has also served as assistant superintendent for School Operations, executive principal of The Howard School and principal of East Ridge High School. “I am honored to lead the incredibly dedicated Talent team at Hamilton County Schools,” Dr. Brown said. “We will be a trusted partner delivering outstanding customer service and organizational development solutions that contribute to the success of our district through cultivating, attracting, retaining, and developing a talented and diverse workforce so that all students can thrive.”