Hernandez to succeed Abernathy at educational administrators group

Dr. Mike Hernandez has been hired as the executive director of the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators (AAEA). The AAEA Board of Directors made the announcement on Monday (Feb. 10) after a search and interviews.

Hernandez will begin July 1, working with Dr. Richard Abernathy, current AAEA executive director, through the end of the year. He will officially take the reins of the AAEA beginning January 1, 2021.

“Dr. Hernandez is an outstanding educational leader in Arkansas. He has a compassion for all the children in the state, is hardworking, has high standards, and will take the association to the next level. I look forward to working with him as he moves us forward,” Abernathy said.

The AAEA is a statewide alliance of school leaders promoting public education policy.

Hernandez’s background includes serving as state superintendent at the Arkansas Department of Education since July 2017. Prior to that, he served as superintendent of the Hot Springs School District, superintendent of the Danville School District, and is a former Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner at the Arkansas Department of Education.