PARSONS, Tenn – Janet Ayers, President, and Dr. Burton Williams, CEO, of The Ayers Foundation Trust, announced today that Shawn Kimble will join the foundation as its new Chief Scholars Officer, working closely with Williams in leading the nationally acclaimed Ayers Scholars Program.

Kimble, currently the Director of Lauderdale County Schools in West Tennessee, will begin his new role with the foundation this spring. With 27 years of experience as an educator in Lauderdale County, including 12 years as Director of Schools, Kimble has been a leader in driving educational progress in rural Tennessee.

“Shawn has long been on the frontlines of helping students have a path to success after graduation,” said Dr. Williams. “He brings extensive experience in supporting students through post-secondary education and into prosperous careers, embodying our mission to improve the lives of rural Tennessee students through education. We are thrilled to welcome his leadership and dedication to our statewide efforts.”

During his tenure in Lauderdale County, Kimble has actively contributed to several statewide educational councils and workgroups, including Tennessee SCORE’s Advisory Council, the Tennessee Literacy Advisory Council, and the Governor’s School Funding Workgroup. He also helped create HTL (Haywood, Tipton, Lauderdale) University, a one-of-a-kind innovative partnership between three school districts to expand career pathways for students.

A Perry County native, Kimble holds a Master of Educational Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University and a Bachelor’s degree from Murray State University.

“Shawn’s deep understanding of rural Tennessee and the needs of students will be invaluable as we continue to expand our reach to even more students and schools across the state,” said Janet Ayers. “We are excited to have Shawn join our team and look forward to his leadership in helping shape the future of our rapidly expanding Ayers Scholars Program.”