James R. (Jim) Brown, Emeritus Partner

James R. (Jim) Brown served as Superintendent of Schools for the Glendale, Palo Alto and Lompoc Unified School Districts. He was also superintendent of the Cambria Union Elementary and Coast Union High School Districts.  He has been an Administrator of Instruction K-8, a middle school principal, high school assistant principal, and teacher.

Jim received his Master’s Degree from the University of Kansas and his B.S.F.S. Degree from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

Jim has chaired the ACSA Superintendency Committee and the ACSA Urban Superintendents’ Committee. He has also served as co-chair of the California State Mathematics Task Force and the High School Exit Exam Panel. He was also a member of the It’s Elementary Task Force.

In 1999-2000, Jim was named California Superintendent of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators and in 1993 received the Robert Alioto Instructional Leadership Award from the California School Leadership Academy. He was also President of the national Suburban School Superintendents’ Association and Schools for Sound Finance. He was given the Golden Oak Award in 2003 from the California PTA, the Tall Tree Award for Outstanding Professional in 1996 by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, and received the Marcus Foster Award for Administrative Excellence from the Association of California School Administrators in 2004.

Jim has experience conducting executive searches since 2004 and has facilitated or assisted in the facilitation of more than 55 executive searches since that time.

Jim served as senior advisor for Pivot Learning Partners. His areas of focus were: Teacher and Principal Effectiveness, Governance, the Strategic School Funding for Results Project, Executive Coaching, and documentation of education innovations.

Jim has been a member of the Board of Directors of Glendale Memorial Hospital, the American Leadership Forum and the Southern California Leadership Network. He has served in leadership roles in numerous community and civic groups.

Jim, and his wife, Kathy, who is a retired librarian, have three grown sons.