Meet the people Durham Public Schools picked to help shape your child’s school

Superintendent Pascal Mubenga isn’t wasting any time filling out his leadership team.

Mubenga has hired Arasi Adkins to serve as assistant superintendent for human resources. The 17 HR veteran is currently assistant vice chancellor of human resources at N.C. A&T University in Greensboro.

Most of Adkins’ HR career, however, has been in K-12 public education. Most recently she served as senior executive director for human resources at Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, a post she held from 2011 to 2016.

“The competition in North Carolina for strong teachers is intense, and our state’s schools of education are not producing enough teachers to meet demand,” Mubenga said. “Ms. Adkins is an innovative thinker and experienced leader who will ensure that DPS hires and retains the best of the best.”

Adkins will start Jan. 2.

“I’m looking forward to bringing my experience and some fresh ideas to Durham Public Schools,” Adkins said. “Our students deserve the best from our teachers and staff, and our employees deserve service that makes them excited to come to work every day.”

Adkins is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a Master of Arts in Teaching.

In a related move, Kimberly Hager was named senior executive director for human resources. Hager is currently serving as interim assistant superintendent for the department.

“Mrs. Hager rose to the occasion during a time of high turnover in district leadership,” Mubenga said. “She made the department more responsive and accelerated our progress on compensation studies. I appreciate her continuing contributions to Durham Public Schools.”

Mubenga began assembling his leadership team last month when he hired Guilford County Schools’ administrator Nakia Hardy to become DPS’ deputy superintendent of academic services.

Hardy replaces Stacey Wilson-Norman who left last month to become chief academic officer for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). Hardy begins work in Durham next month.

Mubenga made several other operational leadership moves last week. The new hires and promotions were approved by the school board Thursday.

Chief operating officer

Aaron Beaulieu was promoted to chief operating officer. Beaulieu previously served as interim superintendent, interim deputy superintendent for operational services and chief financial officer. He joined DPS in 2013, coming from a long career with Pitt County Schools.

Also, interim finance officer Paul LeSieur was named chief finance officer. LeSieur came to DPS in 2010 as executive director for budget and management services, following seven years as director of school business services for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and other positions within DPI and state government.

The school board also approved principals to lead Creekside, Sandy Ridge, and Y.E. Smith elementary schools.

▪ Victoria Creamer has been hired to lead Creekside Elementary effective February 2018. She has been principal of Ephesus Road Elementary School in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools since 2010. She was an assistant principal at the same school from 2007. Creamer began her education career as a math teacher in 1997, teaching at Stanford, Culbreth, and Smith middle schools in CHCCS and Orange County Schools. She has a Master of School Administration degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and is working toward a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.

▪ Lanisha Hinton has been promoted to full principal after serving as interim principal at Sandy Ridge Visual and Performing Arts Elementary since April 2017. She was the school’s assistant principal from 2015. Prior to that, Hinton was a teacher and assistant principal in Henderson. She was named the North Carolina Association of Educators Assistant Principal of the Year in 2015. She has a Master of School Administration degree from N.C. State University and is working toward a doctorate in educational leadership from Gardner Webb University.

▪ Joi Gibson-Robinson is coming to Y.E. Smith Elementary Museum School after serving as assistant principal at C.C. Spaulding Elementary from 2015. Gibson-Robinson holds a doctorate in educational leadership from UNC-Chapel Hill. Her prior K-12 educational experience includes assistant principalships at Carnage GT Magnet Middle and Fred A. Olds Elementary in Wake County. She was also an adviser and instructor for the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program. Her start date will be announced at a later date.

This story was originally published December 13, 2017 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Meet the people Durham Public Schools picked to help shape your child’s school."