Collierville Schools superintendent to step down, take job with state superintendents group

John Klyce, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·1 min read
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Gary Lilly is stepping down from his role as director of schools.
Gary Lilly is stepping down from his role as director of schools.

Collierville Schools will soon need a new leader.

Gary Lilly, the district’s director of schools, has notified the Collierville Board of Education that he plans to step down from his role on Dec. 31, 2023. On Jan. 1, 2024, he’s slated to start as the executive director of the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents.

The board is expected to name an interim director in the coming weeks.

“The amazing students, educators, administrators, and board members associated with Collierville Schools have enriched my professional life and practice in innumerable ways,” Lilly said, in a press release. “As I prepare for a new journey with TOSS, I do so with immense gratitude for the opportunities, collaborations, and accomplishments that we have shared here.”

Collierville superintendent Gary Lilly visits a Sycamore Elementary School first grade classroom Friday, August 16, 2019.
Collierville superintendent Gary Lilly visits a Sycamore Elementary School first grade classroom Friday, August 16, 2019.

Lilly was selected as the superintendent of Collierville Schools in May 2019. He replaced John Aitken and was the district’s second-ever superintendent. During his tenure, he guided Collierville Schools through the COVID-19 pandemic, oversaw the creation of its 10th school ― Collierville Virtual Academy ― and spearheaded the development and adoption of its five-year strategic plan. He also expanded high school career and technical education pathways, adding aviation flight, mechatronics, and aviation mechanics.

Before joining Collierville Schools, Lilly was the superintendent of Bristol Tennessee City Schools for 10 years.

He’s now poised to take the reins at TOSS, a professional memberships association for active school superintendents and directors of public school systems in Tennessee. Chartered in 1975, the organization currently has 145 superintendents who are members, and it looks to address and advance the needs of education in Tennessee, through legislative advocacy, information sharing, and professional development.

Lilly is set to be its ninth executive director.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Collierville Superintendent Gary Lilly to step down at end of 2023