[ April 22, 2020 ] The Pickens County Board of Education has announced Dr. Rick Townsend as the next Superintendent of Pickens County Schools. Dr. Townsend will assume his leadership duties beginning April 27, 2020. (Video from called board meeting)

?Dr. Townsend brings a wide array of educational experiences which is of great importance to the Board,? Chairman Tucker Green stated. He went on to share, ?Dr. Townsend?s experience at multiple levels, coupled with his proven track record of improving schools and school districts, was appealing to the Board. The Board also believes that Dr. Townsend is uniquely capable to provide clear leadership from the district level to the school level.?

Dr. Townsend?s interest in the community was piqued during his visits to local points of interest while attending Reinhardt. He shared that he is looking forward to working closely with staff and being an integral part of the community that he and his family will call home.

SWEARING IN ON APRIL 27, 2020

With Dr. Townsend beginning his work on Monday, his immediate goals are to facilitate a strong finish to the current school year and begin planning for the start of the 2020-21 school year. Additionally, he wants to support school leaders in providing the deserved recognition for the Pickens High graduating class of 2020.

Dr. Townsend expressed his appreciation to the entire staff for the excellent job they continue to do in educating children and providing for families during this uncertain time. In looking ahead to next year, Townsend shared, ?We need to continue supporting our core beliefs that all children can learn, that all stakeholders are accountable for student learning, and that we will continue to strive for continuous improvement in student achievement.? He intends to collaborate with community members and staff to support students in the classroom as well as in their extracurricular activities. In addition to supporting students, support should also continue for the dedicated staff and community members who help our students in and out of the classroom.

?It is the expectation of the Board that academics and student achievement will be a top priority in the district, and under Dr. Townsend?s leadership and in collaboration with district and school leaders, we believe student achievement will begin to soar in Pickens County,? Chairman Green stated.
Dr. Townsend expresses his gratitude to the Board for choosing him to lead and serve as Superintendent of Schools for Pickens County. He reiterated that a focus on core beliefs together with accountability of all stakeholders, will allow Pickens County School District to rise and become a top performing system within the state of Georgia.

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ANNOUNCEMENT AS FINALIST ON 4/7/20

On April 7, the Pickens County Board of Education voted to name Dr. Rick Townsend as the single finalist for the position of Superintendent. As required by Georgia statute, a 14-day public comment period is now in effect since a finalist has been named.

The Board decided to name Dr. Townsend as finalist for the position after a thorough three-month search process. The search process included consideration of 34 applicants from across Georgia and several other states, initial interviews of 14 applicants, collection and review of extensive reference information, and in-depth follow-up interviews of 4 applicants. During the search process, the Board surveyed over 200 school system employees and over 500 members of the Pickens County community to determine the qualifications and characteristics that those groups thought most important in the selection. The Board utilized the survey results in selecting Dr. Townsend as the single finalist.

Dr. Townsend currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Golden Isles College and Career Academy in Brunswick, Georgia and has served in that role since 2010. Dr. Townsend began his education career in 1991 at Winder-Barrow Middle School as a teacher and coach. He served as assistant principal at Jefferson High School from 1997 to 2002 and was principal of Banks County Upper Elementary School from 2002 to 2005. He was then named principal of E. T. Booth Middle school in Cherokee County and then worked as a principal, Assistant Superintendent, and Acting Superintendent in Appling County Schools prior to assuming his current position at the Golden Isles College and Career Academy.

Dr. Townsend grew up in Lithonia, GA. He has been married for 29 years to Carolyn Townsend, who is a kindergarten teacher. Dr. and Mrs. Townsend have three children, Haley, Emily, and Molly. Dr. Townsend is a graduate of Reinhardt College, of the University of Georgia, and the University of West Georgia. He earned the Doctor of Education Degree in School Improvement from the University of West Georgia in 2011.

During the coming weeks, the Board will finalize terms of employment for Dr. Townsend. It is the Board?s intent to formally employ Dr. Townsend as Superintendent after the 14- day period of public comment. The Board anticipates that Dr. Townsend will begin work as Superintendent as soon as possible, and will closely coordinate his work with Dr. Charles Webb, the current Interim Superintendent.