LEXINGTON, Ky. — Five candidates are now vying for the superintendent’s spot at Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS). The board announced five candidates, narrowing down from more than 50 applicants during Monday’s regularly scheduled meeting.

“Essentially, what began five months ago does not end with hiring a superintendent, we need to remain engaged throughout the tenure of the next leader,” said FCPS Board Chair Tyler Murphy.

The candidates are Christopher Bernier, Melvin Brown, Angela Dominguez, Tawana Grover and Demetrus Liggins.

“We had nearly 70 input sessions with a variety of stakeholders to gather additional input,” Murphy said. “And as we present other opportunities for our internal and external community to learn more about the candidates, we’ll benefit from a diverse perspective you share through feedback form written and shared with our board.”

In December, FCPS experienced a sudden loss with the death of Manny Caulk.

“Our community’s burden was made heavier,” Murphy said.

Since then, Interim Superintendent Marlene Helm has filled in for duties.

“Our goal is to have the superintendent in place ready to start the 2021-2022 school year,” Murphy said.

The Lexington community will have opportunities to get to know the candidates through virtual meetings or in-person sessions.

From left to right: Christopher S. Bernier, Tawana Grover, Demetrus Liggins, Melvin J. Brown and Angela Dominguez. (FCPS)

Christopher S. Bernier, Ed.D.

Christopher Bernier serves as the chief of staff for the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada. As an executive cabinet member in the fifth-largest school district in the U.S. since 2019, Bernier drives and executes the student-centered vision for over 310,000 students and 42,000 employees. 

Tawana Grover, Ph.D.

Tawana Grover is superintendent of Grand Island Public Schools in Grand Island, Nebraska, a district of over 10,000 students. Before becoming a superintendent in 2016, she served leadership roles in DeSoto Independent Schools — a suburban district of Dallas, Texas with 10,000 students — as chief human resource officer, executive director of federal programs, director of special programs and principal.

Demetrus Liggins, Ph.D.

Demetrus Liggins has served since 2016 as superintendent of schools in Greenville Independent School District, an urban district of 5,000 students outside of Dallas, Texas. Previously, Dr. Liggins has been a bilingual/Spanish classroom teacher; an assistant principal; an elementary, middle, and high school principal; and an area superintendent of schools, in districts with as many as 35,000 students. 

Melvin J. Brown, Ed.D.

Since 2017, Dr. Melvin Brown has served as the superintendent of Reynoldsburg City Schools, a district with 7,300 students in the metropolitan area of Columbus, Ohio. Before this role, he was associate superintendent at Prince William County Public Schools in Virginia, a district of 89,000 students and a county population of 400,000. 

Angela Dominguez

Dominguez serves as the assistant superintendent of academic services in Edgewood Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas, a large, urban district of about 10,000 students. Previously, she served as the district’s chief of secondary schools and executive director of school leadership. 

Each candidate will participate virtually in one-hour live public forums.

All are invited to view the virtual public forums via live stream or attend a live session in Norsworthy Auditorium at the former district office, located at 701 East Main Street. Members of the community can submit questions during the forums or in advance to this link by noon on Tuesday, May 25.

Wednesday, May 26:

Tawana Grover, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Demetrus Liggins, 6:45 to 7:45 p.m.

Thursday, May 27:

Angela Dominguez, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. 

Melvin Brown, 5:45 to 6:45 p.m.

Christopher Bernier, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. 

A Meet and Greet is also scheduled on June 2, starting at 7 p.m. at Fredrick Douglass High school.