Superintendent

Dr. Nyah Hamlett

superintendent@chccs.k12.nc.us

919-967-8211 x28226

Dr. Nyah D. Hamlett began as Superintendent for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) on January 1, 2021. Under Dr. Hamlett’s leadership, the district serves approximately 11,000 students and 2,000 employees in 11 elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, an alternative school, and a school for young people being treated at UNC Hospital.

After leading CHCCS through the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Hamlett is pleased that the district's on-time graduation rate in 2024 was 93.9%, including a new CHCCS record of 967 graduating seniors. Additionally, CHCCS achieved other student successes, including:

• The proportion of Black students who earned grade-level proficiency on the High School End-of-Course tests rose by 3 percentage points to a level higher than the pre-COVID value. 
• District achievements included a 69.8% passing rate on all state exams, the highest in all of North Carolina. 
• 14 (73.7%) CHCCS schools earned A or B grades, up from 66.7% in 2022-23.
• 14 CHCCS schools Exceeded or Met Growth expectations. 
• In CHCCS, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students exceeded growth expectations at rates that surpassed their statewide peers.

The 2027 Strategic Plan under Dr. Hamlett's leadership calls for CHCCS to 'Think (and Act) Differently'. Dr. Hamlett believes that every student in CHCCS deserves a high-quality, affirming education and the support to develop to their fullest potential. As a result, Dr. Hamlett strives to model the district's core values of engagement, social justice action, collective efficacy, wellness and joy on a daily basis.

Before arriving in Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Dr. Hamlett enjoyed a long and successful career in public education in Virginia. She previously served as chief of staff for Loudoun County Public Schools, serving as a key strategic advisor to the superintendent and other cabinet members. In her work with the Superintendent and School Board, Dr. Hamlett supported and coordinated the governance team approach to serving over 84,000 students and 12,000 employees. While there, Dr. Hamlett also played an important role in supervising the director of equity and leading the district’s equity efforts.

Prior to that, Dr. Hamlett spent twelve years with the Henrico County Public Schools at both the school and central office levels, ultimately working for five years as assistant superintendent for instructional support. In this position, she supervised a number of instructional and support programs, including exceptional education (special education and gifted education), family and community engagement, school improvement, professional learning, mental wellness and social-emotional learning. Under Dr. Hamlett’s leadership, HCPS won first place in the National School Boards Association’s 2017 Magna Awards for the district’s overhaul of the code of student conduct and its development of preventative behavioral support programs. Hamlett began her career as a special education teacher in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools.

Dr. Hamlett received her bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology and audiology with a minor in special education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She went on to earn two master’s degrees in K-12 reading and educational leadership from Regent University in Virginia Beach, and a doctorate in educational policy, planning, and leadership from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Dr. Hamlett also earned an urban superintendent certification from the AASA Howard University Urban Superintendents’ Academy.

Dr. Hamlett is a champion of high-quality, equitable and affirming learning experiences, Relational Leadership, Culturally Relevant & Responsive Pedagogy, School-Based Mental Health, Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline, Gifted Identification of Underrepresented Student Populations, and more.

She is a proponent of asking students what problems they want to solve versus what they want to “be” when they grow up … Deep Learning.

She also believes in asking students what happened to them versus what’s wrong with them … Restorative Practices.

Dr. Hamlett and her husband live in Chapel Hill, NC with their three school-aged children.

Deputy Superintendent for Operations

Al Ciarochi
Operations Division
aciarochi@chccs.k12.nc.us
919-967-8211 x28228

Al Ciarochi joined CHCCS in July of 2022 as Deputy Superintendent for Operations, a role that includes direct oversight of Capital and Facilities, Child Nutrition, Safe Schools, Sustainability, Technology, and Transportation. 

Ciarochi joined CHCCS from Virginia, where he enjoyed a 30-year career in public education, most recently as Chief Operating Officer of Prince William County Public Schools (PWCPS). His role in PWCPS included directing daily school operations at 97 schools, and oversight of a $243 million operating budget and five-year Capital Improvement Plan.

Prior to PWCPS, Ciarochi served as assistant superintendent of operations for Henrico County Public Schools, Va., (HCPS) from 2013-2019. His duties were similar to those at PWCPS and included the development of a comprehensive safety audit plan and process, as well as collaboration with local public safety, risk management, and emergency management officials. 

Ciarochi began his educational career as a teacher in HCPS in 1992, and over the following decades, he held positions of increasingly greater responsibility as assistant principal, principal and director of construction and maintenance in HCPS.

Ciarochi received his Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Old Dominion University and his Master of Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is licensed as a Division Superintendent for the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of North Carolina. Al and his wife, Diana, are the proud parents of two children.

Deputy Superintendent for Teaching & Learning, Systemic Equity, & Engagement

Dr. Rodney Trice

Teaching and Learning, Systemic Equity,
Engagement Division
rtrice@chccs.k12.nc.us
919-967-8211 x28247

Dr. Rodney Trice returned to the district in July 2021 as its Chief Equity & Engagement Officer.  Trice returns to CHCCS after working in Wake County Public Schools for seven years as its assistant superintendent of equity affairs.

Before leaving the district, Trice served as the executive director of curriculum, instruction and technology and then later as associate superintendent for student and social services and equity oversight.  He previously served in CHCCS for eight years.

Trice has also worked as a policy advisor for NC Department of Public Instruction, an associate principal in Orange County Schools and a director and teacher in Detroit.

Trice holds a bachelor's degree in Biology from Morehouse College in Atlanta, a master's degree in Educational Administration from the University of Detroit at Mercy, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Chief Communications
Officer

Andy Jenks

Communications Division
ajenks@chccs.k12.nc.us
919-967-8211 x28227

Andy Jenks joined CHCCS in September of 2021. 

As Chief Communications Officer, Andy collaborates across all departments to ensure public understanding and support of the mission, vision and goals of the district. Andy also serves as the official spokesperson for CHCCS, while leading a variety of team responsibilities that include news media relations, internal and external communications, public records requests, social media, video production and community relations activities/events.

Before joining CHCCS, Andy served as Chief of Communications and Community Engagement for Henrico County Public Schools in Virginia, a school system of 50,000 students and 72 schools located in the metro-Richmond region. Prior to that, he was a television news anchor and reporter at stations in Richmond, Utica, NY, and Syracuse, NY. He is a graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School for Public Communications. 

Andy and his wife live in Chapel Hill. They are the parents of three children who are expected to be part of the CHCCS graduating classes of 2028, 2029 and 2031.

For more on CHCCS Communications, visit this page.

Chief Financial Officer

Jonathan Scott

Business & Financial Services Division
jscott@chccs.k12.nc.us
919-967-8211 x28261

Jonathan Scott joined CHCCS as the district’s Chief Accountant in January 2005 and has also served in the position of director of accounting as well as the director of financial and business services.  Prior to his tenure at CHCCS, Scott served two years as the assistant finance officer with Moore County Schools.  Before beginning his work in public education Scott worked for a large regional Certified Public Accounting firm auditing NC school districts, NC charter schools, and local community banks.  Scott earned both his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and his Master of Science in Accountancy at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Chief Human Resources Officer

Dr. Ashauna Harris

Human Resources Division
arharris@chccs.k12.nc.us
919-967-8211 x28230

Dr. Ashauna Harris is a native North Carolinian from a family of educators who is supported by her husband and three children.

Her educational studies have afforded her bachelor of art and bachelor of science degrees from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and a master of school administration degree (MSA), education specialist degree (Ed.S.), and doctorate of education degree (Ed.D.) from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Dr. Harris’s first 10 years in education were spent as a high school English teacher, magnet coordinator and assistant principal for Guilford County Schools in North Carolina before continuing her advocacy for children as the principal of John Marshall Community High School in Indianapolis (2014-2016).

After returning to Guilford County Schools, Dr. Harris served as principal of Welborn Academy of Science and Technology, where she was honored as the Secondary Principal of the Year for the 2018-2019 school year and then went on to be principal of Hairston Middle School.

Wanting to further her impact, Dr. Harris transitioned to Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools where she has served as the executive director of professional learning and leadership, senior executive director of employee recruitment, learning and retention, interim chief human resources officer and, effective October 20, 2023 is the Chief Human Resources Officer. CHCCS continues to present beautiful challenges and she excitedly continues to “Say Yes to CHCCS”!

Chief Operations Officer

Dr. André Stewart

Operations Divison
adstewart@chccs.k12.nc.us

André Stewart began working in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools in September 2021.  Stewart brings over 20 years of experience in public education in the state of North Carolina.  He started as a lateral entry high school social studies teacher and coach.  Over time, Stewart held the positions of athletic director, assistant principal and was a two-time district principal of the year as well as a chief operations officer.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in History from Chowan College, his teaching licensure through NC Wesleyan, a Master's degree in School Administration from the University of Phoenix and a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Liberty University.

Chief of Staff & School Leadership

Brandy Reeves

School Leadership Divison
breeves@chccs.k12.nc.us
919-967-8211 x28235

Brandy Reeves was named Chief of Staff & School Leadership for CHCCS in May 2021. Prior to that, she had served as senior director of alumni programming for New Leaders in New York, NY. Reeves has served as a principal, an assistant principal, a reading teacher and an English teacher in Georgia, Illinois, Maryland and Virginia, as well as in Greensboro, NC.  Reeves holds a bachelor’s degree in English Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a master's degree in Educational Leadership from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.  She also a certificate in Urban School Leadership/Administration from National Lewis University in Chicago; attended Executive Level Leadership at Northwestern University; and was part of Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education's Education Policy Fellowship Program.