The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Schools’ COO leaves for job with Atlanta
City’s new deputy COO to ‘play pivotal role,’ mayor says.
Joshua Williams, chief operations officer for the DeKalb County School District, is leaving to join the city of Atlanta.
City officials announced the hire in a press release Thursday. Williams starts there on Aug. 6 as the city’s deputy chief operating officer.
“As we strive for excellence across all aspects of City operations, Joshua Williams will play a pivotal role in ensuring we are operating not only in an efficient and transparent manner, but in a way that has a tangible impact on the quality of life for all Atlantans,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in announcing Williams’ hire.
Williams, who recently celebrated 10 years with the district, leads operations for the school district, including its transportation division and facilities maintenance, and leads plans for the district’s upcoming Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax projects.
District officials say an interim will be named “in the coming days” and a national search will commence soon after to find a replacement.
“We thank Joshua for his dedicated service to the children of DeKalb County,” Superintendent Steve Green said through a spokesman. “We wish him well.”
Like his new boss, Williams received his bachelor’s degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee. Williams has also earned a master’s in project management and an MBA in operations and supply chain management from Colorado Technical University. Williams is currently working on a doctorate in business administration at Capella University.
Williams’ departure is the most recent in the past 18 months as the district has lost several top administrators, including regional superintendent Ralph Simpson, who now works for Clayton County Public Schools, and Chief Academic Officer Lisa Martin, who resigned in January after less than two years.