The Union County Board of Education is pleased to announce the selection and appointment of Dr . Andrew Houlihan as the next Superintendent of Union County Public Schools . Dr . Houlihan was named at a special-called meeting July 26 . His first official day was Wednesday , Aug . 24 .
“ Union County Public Schools has had a long history and tradition of academic excellence and organizational success ,” Houlihan said . “ I am deeply honored to serve as the next Superintendent of Schools and will strive to continue such success for many years to come . Thank you to the members of the Board of Education for this opportunity to serve . Our family is looking forward to joining the Union County community in the very near future .”
Union County Board of Education names Superintendent
Dr . Andrew Houlihan is the new Superintendent of Union County Public Schools .
The Board of Education began its search process in March and invited UCPS employees and the public to participate in a survey to provide feedback on characteristics for a new leader of Union County Public Schools .
The board carefully reviewed applications and supporting documentation from a diverse field of 30 excellent candidates . Although many qualified candidates applied , the board felt that Dr . Houlihan ’ s leadership , experience and dedication to students would best serve the UCPS students , staff and community for years to come . The board is confident that Dr . Houlihan will lead the district to even higher achievement .
“ The Board of Education is very excited about the appointment of Dr . Houlihan as Superintendent of UCPS ,” said Leslie Boyd , chair . He has the leadership skills , passion and energy to take our school district to the next level . “ He will bring a Team Union attitude to our schools and community .”
Dr . Houlihan began his career in public education as an elementary school teacher in Wake County . He has enjoyed a successful career in public education spanning over 15 years in North Carolina , New York , and most recently , Texas . Dr . Houlihan currently serves as the Chief Academic Officer for the Houston Independent School District ( HISD ), where he has held several cabinet-level positions since 2013 , including Chief Human Resources Officer , Chief School Support Officer and Chief School Officer for Major Projects .
As a key member of the superintendent ’ s administrative team , Dr . Houlihan has focused on increasing student performance and organizational effectiveness . He was responsible for planning ,
developing , implementing and evaluating the school system ’ s curriculum and professional development , school and leadership development , teacher and administrator recruitment and school improvement efforts .
Prior to his current position , Dr . Houlihan served as an elementary school principal ( 2010-2012 ) and School Support Officer ( 2012-2013 ) for HISD and held other administrative positions in the Austin Independent School District ( 2007-2010 ).
Dr . Houlihan has an impressive academic background . He holds a bachelor ’ s degree in elementary education from Elon University in North Carolina , which he attended as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow . He went on to obtain a master ’ s degree in organization and leadership from Columbia University ’ s Teachers College in 2006 and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 2010 .
Dr . Houlihan greatly looks forward to the opportunity to lead Union County Public Schools and become part of the community . He and his wife , Shannon , as well as their two children , Hayden and Hadley , will be transitioning to Union County in the coming weeks .
— This article was provided by the Union County Public Schools Communications Office
2 • Sept / Oct 2016 • Parent Teacher News