The Hickory Public Schools Board of Education announced 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 two years in that position and more than 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.

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 role as Superintendent with Hickory Public Schools on August 1, 2023.