A national organization that assists K-12 public school organizations in filling non-instructional positions with trained fellows has hired a Memphis native as its new Tennessee director.
Gerald Fanion III, 35, will oversee Education Pioneers, a nonprofit recruitment and leadership training organization with operations in Memphis and Nashville.
He will be based in Memphis and replaces Maya Bugg, who left last fall to become CEO of the Tennessee Charter School Center.
A graduate of Tennessee State University, Fanion has management experience in nonprofit and youth development sectors, most recently with the national headquarters of Boys & Girls Clubs of America in Atlanta, where he created community outreach initiatives for nearly 4 million youth and supported fundraising campaigns for key programs.
“Gerald’s strong background and deep commitment to students throughout Tennessee make him the right person to grow our impact,” said Scott Morgan, founder and CEO of Education Pioneers.
Education Pioneers was founded in 2003 and places professionals in education support roles including data analysis, human resources and finance.
In Tennessee — one of the group’s newest expansion areas — it has placed 45 fellows to support work in organizations including Shelby County Schools, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, the Achievement School District, Seeding Success, Green Dot Public Schools, KIPP Memphis and the Tennessee Department of Education.