Clarke County School District Superintendent Dr. Robbie Hooker today announced the appointment of Dan Swartz to serve as Interim Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. Mr. Swartz will replace Dr. Selena Blankenship, who is retiring Nov. 22 after three decades of dedicated public education service, including 18 years with CCSD.

Mr. Swartz has been a member of the CCSD HR Division since January 2022, most recently as Executive Director of Human Resources. Prior to joining CCSD, he worked as the Human Capital Strategies Specialist for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina from 2008 to 2015 before managing his own talent consulting firm from 2015 to 2022. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Gardner-Webb University. 

After serving as a teacher in several rural south Georgia communities, Dr. Blankenship and her family relocated to the Athens area in 2002 when she was hired as an English teacher at Clarke Central High School. She later became principal of Hilsman Middle School, a role she held for five years before becoming Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Student Support Services for the Jackson County School System. She returned to CCSD in 2021 to lead CCSD’s HR Division. 

“Dr. Blankenship has been a tremendous asset to CCSD in every role she has held. As the head of our Human Resources Division, she has led transformative efforts, including department restructuring, salary improvements, and the establishment of a widely recognized employee wellness program,” said Dr. Hooker. “Although we wish her the best as she begins the next chapter of her life, we will miss her greatly. I am confident that Mr. Swartz will continue to move us forward in the right direction as we work to fill this important vacancy in the coming months.”

“It has been my greatest privilege to serve the CCSD community for 18 years, working alongside incredible colleagues, leaders, and students who inspire growth and excellence every day,” said Dr. Blankenship. “This next chapter is a chance to give back in new ways, while cherishing the relationships and memories that will always connect me to CCSD. I am excited to spend more time traveling, trying to turn my brown thumb green, and sleeping in (all the way to 7:00 a.m.!).”