Dr. Russell Dyer started as the Director of Cleveland City Schools on July 1, 2016. Before coming to Cleveland, Dr. Dyer was Chief of Staff for Collierville Schools in Collierville, Tennessee for two years.
Prior to the opening of Collierville Schools, Dr. Dyer was the principal at Collierville High School in Collierville and Bon Lin Middle School in Bartlett, TN. He has also served as a middle school teacher, Assistant Principal, and Human Resources Specialist all in Shelby County Schools. Dr. Dyer was awarded the Tennessee PTA Outstanding Principal of the Year Award in 2011 and the Rotary Club Teacher of the Year Award in 1999. In 2019, his peers named Dr. Dyer the Southeast Tennessee Superintendent of the Year. In 2020, he was named to the National Schools Public Relations Associations Superintendents to Watch list.
Dr. Dyer serves on the Board for the Boys and Girls Club of the Ocoee Region, the United Way of the Ocoee Region, the Bradley Cleveland Public Education Foundation as well as the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents and the Association of Independent and Municipal Schools. He also serves on the Governing Board for the American Association of School Administrators - The School Superintendents Association.
Dr. Dyer is an avid outdoors enthusiast; he enjoys hiking and water sports. He is also active in his church and mentors students in the youth ministry.