Simpson County Schools has a new superintendent of education, Dr. Toriano Holloway.
A special meeting was held Monday at the central office in Mendenhall to introduce Dr. Holloway to staff and faculty members of the school district.
With the assistance of the State Superintendents Association, which advertised for applicants who met a list of qualifications set by the local board, the list of candidates was whittled down to 15. From there, the Simpson County Board selected their top four choices to interview.
The board used a point system to grade the candidates. The final four included two applicants from Simpson County and two from outside the county. According to Board President Danny Cowart, only one point separated the candidates. He told the group that each and every of them was an independent thinker.
Board member Patrice Boykin stated that Holloway had done his research and knew individually who he was going to be interviewing with. She added that his “personality was contagious.”
Dr. Holloway acknowledged that he had big shoes to fill, referring to retiring Superintendent Greg Paes. He assured the group that he did not do change just for the sake of change, interjecting that the only thing that needs immediate change is a wet baby.
He assured those present that the task of improving the district was not just his job, but rather the job of the entire team.
He added, “If we take care of the kids everything else will take care of itself.”
Dr. Holloway comes to Simpson County from the Quitman School District in Clarke County.
His wife had previously known School Board President Danny Cowart from the time Cowart spent coaching in Gulfport. She is employed with Gulfport High School.
Dr. Holloway will officially start his employment with the school district on July 1, 2020, replacing Paes, whose retirement becomes effective at the end of June.
