Jennifer Hart may not have grown up in Aiken County, but she moved to Aiken years ago and has come to know, love and provide vital contributions to the Aiken County community.
Hart, an Augusta native, will now have the opportunity to further her influence in the Aiken community in a professional capacity as the new Aiken County Public Schools Human Resources Director, following school board approval during Tuesday evening’s regularly scheduled meeting.
“I am very passionate about the process of people, and the roles people play in organizational success,” Hart commented. “When you factor that into the educational process and working to ensure that the right people are in the right places to impact the lives of students around Aiken County this opportunity made a lot of sense to me, both personally and professionally.”
Hart joins the District having served as Career Services Division and Community Director for Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) since 2011. She will begin her new position with Aiken County Public Schools in March.
“We are thrilled Ms. Hart will be joining our Aiken County Public Schools family,” stated Aiken County Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford. “She has proven leadership abilities and extensive experience as a human resources professional, combined with a passion for both people and the Aiken community. We look forward to welcoming her in March.”
Hart, who graduated from high school at the age of 16, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of South Carolina at Aiken, and earned a Masters in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina at Columbia.
“While attending the University of South Carolina at Aiken I just fell in love with this entire community,” Hart added. “I have a lot of ties here, I love this community and I believe in this community. I am very excited to play a role in helping our community to continue to move forward through the educational system. I believe in the District’s vision and leadership and really sensed a passion for our children and I knew this was the right fit for me.”
In addition to her wide range of experience with Goodwill Industries, University Health Care System, MCG Health and MAU, Inc., Hart is a member of the Aiken Rotary Club, a member of the board of directors for the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Aiken County and Aiken County Help Line. Hart has also served on the board of directors for the Aiken Family Y, the Aiken County Commission for Disabilities, and she is a member of the Lower Savannah Council of Governments Workforce Development Unit.
Hart says she looks forward in the months to come to helping bring many other passionate professionals to join her as a member of Aiken County’s premier public education team.
“Regardless of what capacity they may work in or whether they are in a classroom or not, every person working in Aiken County Public Schools is impacting the lives of the children in this community so they are important,” Hart stated. “I am truly honored and feel privileged to have this opportunity, and I am really excited and humbled by it.”
LINK TO DISTRICT PRESS RELEASE: 2018 PR HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR JENNIFER HART