I am honored to be selected as the Superintendent of Catoosa County Public Schools. For those who may not know me, I married my college sweetheart, Heather, in 1994. We have lived in Ringgold for about 20 years, have two girls, and a house full of pets. Our daughters are graduates of CCPS schools, and my wife and oldest daughter Hailey are teachers in this wonderful system. I have had the privilege of working in Catoosa County Public Schools since 2006. In 2006, I was employed as a Deputy Sheriff with the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office, and I worked at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School as the school resource officer. In 2008, I was hired to teach public safety at Heritage High School where I gained invaluable experience as a classroom teacher. In 2014, I served as the assistant principal at West Side Elementary School before returning to LFO High School to continue in the role of assistant principal in 2015. I was profoundly honored to be named the principal of LFO High School in 2017, and I continued to serve in that position until being selected as superintendent. I hold a Master’s of Education in curriculum and instruction from Lincoln Memorial University and an Educational Specialist’s degree in leadership from Valdosta State University.

As superintendent, I promise the guiding principles and mission of CCPS will remain unchanged, and I will continue an unwavering commitment to providing a first-class education that ensures college and career readiness for all of our students. I look forward to continuing the tradition of excellence committed to me by our distinguished school board and thank them for entrusting me with our most priceless treasure, our children.

In leadership and in life, I firmly believe that teamwork makes the dream work. First-class public education takes lots of teamwork. It’s like a three-legged stool with the parent, the child, and the teacher each playing an essential role. When each does their part, it works great and creates a solid foundation! As follows are some things I intend to do to ensure that all of our stakeholders are working together to form an excellent team so that we create a firm foundation for every child in Catoosa County Public Schools.

Parents are a child's first teacher and the school system’s most important partner. I will have an area called, “Connect with Chance” on our website so you can email me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please send me our “glows” (things we are doing well) and “grows” (areas we can improve). We are in this together, and I want to hear your feedback. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me.

I will begin sharing a new CCPS monthly digital newsletter called “Catoosa Connects”. This newsletter will communicate some of the incredible things going on in our schools, on our athletic teams, and in the lives of our kids! My hope is that this newsletter will keep you in the loop on the big things going on in our school district.

Catoosa County has always had amazing teachers! Our educators are some of the hardest working and most caring people in our county. Their love for children never ceases to amaze me. Overcoming student learning loss after the pandemic is a nationwide challenge for all educators right now. I am fully confident that our exemplary CCPS faculty and staff are going above and beyond to meet this challenge and will continue to do so as we move forward. Beginning to close learning gaps will be one of our first and most important tasks. I intend to do everything in my power to support and encourage our teachers and staff members because they are on the front lines making a difference in the lives of our children every single day.

The physical and emotional safety of our students is my top priority. Above all else, kids need a safe place to learn. CCPS will not only continue to focus on remediating learning gaps that may exist due to the pandemic, but we will also be prioritizing the social skills and emotional intelligence of our students. The last two years have been difficult for everyone, and our children are certainly no exception. We will continue to do everything in our power to meet their needs in this area and to provide all students with a safe, positive, and healthy place to learn and grow every day.

I’m excited about this partnership! By working together, we can build a bright future for a new generation of children. The best way to predict the future is to write it! Together, we will write one that everyone in our community will want to be a part of.