We are excited to announce that Jonathan Atkins has joined our team as Director of Talent and Recruitment. In his new role, he will manage the recruitment and on-boarding process for school staff and leadership. Additionally, he will work to establish ongoing relationships with district and university partners, and other education entities to ensure growth within the network.

Jonathan comes to Hebrew Public with a wealth of experience in community engagement and outreach, recruiting and developing talent particularly as it relates to diversity and inclusiveness.

Prior to joining Hebrew Public, Jonathan served as the Associate Director of Recruitment with New Leaders (previously New Leaders for New Schools), where he managed the recruitment and selection plan for district administrators, lead teachers, and school leaders.

Previously, he served as Manager of Diversity Recruitment and Strategic Partnerships with Teach for America. There he supported the launch of TFA’s first ‘Black Male Recruitment’ campaign that grew the number of black men in the TFA corps between 2012 to 2014 by over 200%. He also worked as the Community Engagement Manager for UNCF – the nation’s largest private provider of scholarships and other educational support to minority and low-income students. In this capacity, Jonathan worked to execute UNCF’s local advocacy efforts in the new K-12 platform, with a focus on building community relationships and impacting the local education environment in one or more of UNCF’s target advocacy cities.

Additionally, Jonathan taught for two and a half years in the Hillsborough County School District in Florida as a Special Education Teacher. He has also worked as an Education Fellow on Capitol Hill for Congressman Hakeem Jeffries.

“I am super excited to join the Hebrew Public team and use my skills and experiences to find the best teachers and leaders for our students,” Jonathan said. “As the son of two former educators, I know firsthand the positive impact that inspired and determined leaders can have in our classrooms and in our communities. I am confident that my strengths and enthusiasm for urban education and social justice highly complements this organization’s mission.”

Jonathan volunteers as Partnership Director for Young Education Professionals and also as a Board Member for Life Pieces to Masterpieces – a community organization dedicated to transforming the lives of young African American men. He is a graduate of the University of South Florida, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.

-by Keciah Bailey