State Superintendent Mark Johnson announced Friday the appointment of Joseph Maimone as the new chief of staff at the Department of Public Instruction.
“Joe has the management expertise and the background in K-12 education to help us continue the process of making this department function best,” said State Superintendent Mark Johnson. “I am happy to have him join the team of professionals who make up the Department of Public Instruction.”
Maimone, who will begin his duties Monday, brings with him over 20 years’ experience in education.
As headmaster of Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy since 1998, he successfully led the growth of TJCA from 110 students in grades 7-9 in 1999 to 1,300 students in grades K-12 today. Students thrived at TJCA, which earned many state and national honors during Maimone’s tenure; he was inducted to the NC Alliance of Charter Schools Hall of Fame in 2011.
Maimone holds an MBA with a concentration in finance and marketing from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hamilton College.
Maimone was appointed by Gov. Pat McCrory to the Charter School Advisory Board from 2013-17 and was reappointed by House Speaker Tim Moore in 2017. He served as chairman of the Performance Committee until Sept. 2018.
About the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction:
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction provides leadership to 115 local public school districts and 160 charter schools serving over 1.5 million students in kindergarten through high school graduation. The agency is responsible for all aspects of the state's public school system and works under the direction of the North Carolina State Board of Education.