School Board Appoints New Staff Including Abingdon Elementary School Principal

The School Board made several appointments at its Aug. 15 meeting.

Abingdon Elementary School Principal
Dr. Edwin Acevedo was appointed as Principal of Abingdon Elementary School, effective Sept. 3. Dr. Acevedo brings a wealth of experience with 25 years in education and has served as a principal for 10 years, Superintendent for 4 years, and a central office supervisor in the central office for 4 years. Dr. Acevedo, a native of New York City, served as Principal at Mary McLeod Bethune IB World School in Washington, DC, and as the Executive Director/Superintendent at Doctors Public Charter School in Miami Shores, FL. He also held the position of Superintendent of Schools at The Long Hill Township Public School District in Gillette, NJ, and Principal at Hazel Avenue School in West Orange, NJ. Additionally, he was the District Supervisor of World Languages at West Orange Public Schools and has extensive teaching experience as a secondary Spanish teacher.

Dr. Acevedo has been a Board member of a large Special Education school consortium in New Jersey and has worked tirelessly to support students with disabilities and multilingual learners. Throughout his career, he has been passionately committed to equity, students, and supporting teachers and administrators to ensure the highest standards of education. His expertise in data analysis, performance-based assessments, and creating innovative programs has significantly advanced student achievement in each of the schools he has led. He believes in fostering a collaborative and nurturing environment where all stakeholders are engaged in the educational process. 

Director of Talent Acquisition and Management
Ms. Krista Simkins was appointed as Director of Talent Acquisition and Management (Licensed) in the Department of Human Resources, effective Sept. 3. Ms. Simkins has over a decade of progressive human resources (HR) leadership in the private and public sector. Her broad background includes all facets of HR with business expertise in the development and execution of talent management and retention strategies, large-scale operations to meet business objectives, labor relations, and employee engagement.

Ms. Simkins has demonstrated success driving key HR initiatives and partnering with management, and intangible relationship-building skills, which enable her to put internal and external customers at ease, making her successful at resolving conflict and providing direction. Currently the Director of Talent Acquisition at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), she serves over 182,000 students across 200 schools and centers.

Prior to FCPS, Ms. Simkins served as the Chief Talent Acquisition Officer at Montgomery County Government where she served 38 departments and 10,000 employees. At both organizations, she was responsible for developing, promoting, and implementing strategic initiatives. Ms. Simkins was instrumental in the selection of a new applicant system and its implementation and rollout. She is a graduate of the University of Miami, earning her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Public Relations. The School Board also appointed

Dr. Erin Stone as the Supervisor of Specially Designed Instruction in the Office of Special Education, effective Sept. 16 and Tia Halstead is changing from the position of Executive Director of Human Resources to the position of Interim Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, effective Aug. 16.