Dr. Talisa Dixon is in her first year as the Superintendent/CEO of Columbus City Schools. She began her tenure in March 2019 after five years leading the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District in Northeast Ohio.

Dr. Dixon previously spent nine years as an administrator in Columbus City Schools from 2001-10. She served six years combined as the principal at Brookhaven High School and at Columbus Alternative High School.

She began her career in public education first as a social studies teacher and then as an assistant principal in Akron Public Schools. She was the Deputy Superintendent for the Saginaw Public School District in Michigan before accepting the superintendent post in Cleveland Heights-University Heights in 2014.

Dr. Dixon has been recognized both locally and nationally for her leadership in public education. She was named the 2017-2018 National Administrator of the Year by the American Heart Association. She was also among 25 women leaders from the non-profit community who were selected to participate in the 2018 American Association of School Administrators (AASA) National Women’s Leadership Consortium.

She is a member of the 10th class of the Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP), and out of 700 graduates, was selected as a recipient of the Educator Inspired to Lead Award. Dr. Dixon was honored as the 2018 Educator of the Year by the city of University Heights, and she has also been honored by Dress for Success Cleveland with the organization’s Walking in Success honors in 2015.

Dr. Dixon has also been recognized nationally for her work in promoting educational equity. In 2016, the U.S. Department of Education honored her and the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District for fully reflecting America’s diversity at the highest levels of K-12 schools by equally including students of all backgrounds in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses.

During her time in Northeast Ohio, Dr. Dixon served on the Cleveland Metro American Heart Association Board of Directors, the Governing Board and Executive Committee for MSAN (Minority Student Achievement Network), and the Board of Directors for the Positive Education Program (PEP) of Cleveland.

A native of Oxford, Mississippi, Dr. Dixon received her bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Mississippi Valley State University. She earned three masters of arts degrees (Sociology, Educational Administration, and Secondary Education) and a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Administration from the University of Akron.

Dr. Dixon is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.