New HPS Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Griffin
Hickory City Board of Education Selects
Dr. Jennifer Griffin as New Superintendent
July 12, 2023
The Hickory City Board of Education is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jennifer Griffin as the new Superintendent of Schools. She will succeed Dr. Bryan Taylor as Superintendent, who is retiring after serving 2 years as Superintendent for Hickory Public Schools and over 30 years as an educator in North Carolina.
Dr. Griffin has over 25 years of education experience in North Carolina and currently serves as the Middle School and Fine Arts Director for Catawba County Schools. Before moving to the Catawba County Schools, she served Hickory Public Schools for fourteen years, as the principal of Oakwood Elementary School, the principal of Grandview Middle School, and as a K-12 Curriculum Specialist. Dr. Griffin also served as a classroom teacher in North Carolina for nine years and is a National Board Certified teacher.
"I am very excited to be coming back home to Hickory Public Schools and serving in this capacity,” said Dr. Griffin. “I am looking forward to supporting the dedicated educators who work hard to provide opportunities for our students every day."
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Griffin as the next Superintendent of the Hickory Public Schools,” said Dr. Bryan Graham, Chair of the Board of Education. “Dr. Griffin is an experienced, capable leader, who has a strong history with Hickory Public Schools. She is passionate about our students and will be their biggest advocate. I speak on behalf of the full Board when I say we look forward to working with Dr. Griffin.”
Dr. Griffin earned her Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds both a Masters’ degree in education and Graduate Certificate in School Administration from Appalachian State University, and she received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Western Carolina University.
Dr. Griffin currently resides in Hickory. She has two sons, the oldest is a graduate of Hickory High School and currently a university student. The youngest is a rising junior at Hickory High School. Dr. Griffin will begin her leadership role as Superintendent with Hickory Public Schools on August 1, 2023.