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Veteran HR leader joins Durham Public Schools
New superintendent Pascal Mubenga’s leadership team continues to fall into place with the hiring of a new assistant superintendent for human resources. Seventeen-year HR management veteran Arasi Adkins will join Durham Public Schools on January 2.
Adkins comes to DPS from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, where she served as assistant vice chancellor for human resources. The vast majority of her HR career has been in K-12 public education, however, most recently as senior executive director for human resources at Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools from 2011 to 2016.
“The competition in North Carolina for strong teachers is intense, and our state’s schools of education are not producing enough teachers to meet demand. Ms. Adkins is an innovative thinker and experienced leader who will ensure that DPS hires and retains the best of the best,” said Dr. Mubenga.
At CHCCS, Adkins revamped the district’s HR management system, established a position control system, and helped manage two major compensation studies affecting all district staff. She also created a support group for teachers and administrators of color. She was the district’s first recipient of its District Administrator of the Year award in 2014. She chaired the HR Council of the Central Carolina Regional Educational Service Agency from 2014 to 2016, and sat on the State Superintendent’s Ethics Advisory Committee in 2015 and 2016.
Prior to CHCCS, Adkins led the HR department for the Alamance-Burlington School System after being promoted from director of staffing and licensure. She served in Alamance-Burlington from 2007 to 2011. She worked in the School District of Philadelphia from 2002 to 2007.
“I’m looking forward to bringing my experience and some fresh ideas to Durham Public Schools,” said Adkins. “Our students deserve the best from our teachers and staff, and our employees deserve service that makes them excited to come to work every day.”
Adkins is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor degree in sociology and a Master of Arts in Teaching.
Dr. Mubenga also recognized Kimberly Hager, who has served since May 2017 as interim assistant superintendent for human resources. “Mrs. Hager rose to the occasion during a time of high turnover in district leadership,” he said. “She made the department more responsive and accelerated our progress on compensation studies. I appreciate her continuing contributions to Durham Public Schools.”