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Jennifer Andrews

Chattanooga 2.0

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Hamilton County Schools Deputy Superintendent to Lead Next Chapter of Birth-to-Career Work

Chattanooga, TN — February 4, 2026 — Chattanooga 2.0 announced today that Dr. Sonia Stewart, currently Deputy Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools, has been named its next Executive Director. Chattanooga 2.0 is a nonprofit backbone organization that leads collaborative work across sectors to strengthen education and career pathways for children and families, starting at birth.

Dr. Stewart’s appointment reflects Chattanooga 2.0’s continued evolution from planning and alignment to deeper execution and impact. Following a search led by a cross-sector committee of Chattanooga 2.0 advisory council members, Dr. Stewart was selected for her demonstrated ability to lead complex, data-driven education systems. Her experience positions the organization to strengthen collaboration and accelerate progress toward shared community goals from kindergarten readiness to thriving wages for young adults.

During her tenure with Hamilton County Schools, Dr. Stewart played a central role in strengthening instructional and leadership systems, helping move the district toward greater consistency and measurable improvement. Among her most significant contributions was developing and implementing the district’s Academic Press and Personalization framework, which clarified expectations for student learning while ensuring schools were equipped to respond thoughtfully to individual student needs. This work reinforced the belief that academic excellence and student belonging must exist together.

In addition, Dr. Stewart led the launch and implementation of several core systems to support student success, including principal leadership pipelines, expanded early literacy supports, Community Forward partnerships, and ninth-grade academies to keep students on track to graduation.  Dr. Stewart’s work has contributed to consistent increases in the district growth and proficiency rates, improvements in student attendance, the highest district graduation rate, and the “Advancing District” designation. 

“Dr. Stewart leads with a deep sense of responsibility for students and educators,” said Justin Robertson, Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. “She has challenged us to be clear about our priorities and disciplined in how we build systems to support them. Her leadership has strengthened our district and prepared us well for the work ahead.”

A Community-Focused Next Chapter for Chattanooga 2.0

Chattanooga 2.0 serves as the community’s cradle-to-career backbone organization, aligning partners and data to improve outcomes for children and families across Hamilton County, while emphasizing shared accountability. The organization currently focuses its work on four “Big Bets”: expanding access to quality early childhood experiences before kindergarten, supporting college and career savings through the Chattanooga Future Fund, strengthening early literacy outcomes, and building viable education-to-workforce pathways that connect young people to thriving-wage careers. Together, these efforts help align community action around shared goals that expand opportunity across the county. 

As Executive Director, Dr. Stewart will lead efforts to align strategy and strengthen partnerships so our community’s early learning, K–12 education, postsecondary pathways, and workforce development are coordinated and effective. She will also oversee Chattanooga 2.0’s participation in the Wallace Foundation’s “Advancing Opportunities for Adolescents” initiative, a national effort to strengthen positive youth development through aligned community systems.

“Chattanooga 2.0 plays an important role in aligning education, workforce development, and economic opportunity across Hamilton County,” said Weston Wamp, Hamilton County Mayor. “As the organization enters its next chapter, we remain committed to its mission and to collaborative efforts like the Wallace initiative and Franklin-Roberts Future Ready Center that expand real pathways for young people.”

“Chattanooga 2.0 positively impacts education and workforce development across our community, and I am looking forward to seeing Dr. Stewart’s leadership expand this impact,” said Tim Kelly, Mayor of the City of Chattanooga. “This transition positions the organization to continue strengthening that collaborative approach as we work to improve outcomes for children and families throughout the city.”

“I am grateful for the trust placed in me to lead Chattanooga 2.0, not just because of how this organization has already made a difference, but because it is uniquely positioned to bring our community together to solve some of our biggest challenges,” said Dr. Sonia Stewart. “I have always believed that outcomes for our children are not the work of schools alone.  When communities are aligned, invested, and working together to support our young people, we create the conditions for every child to thrive.”

“Under Keri Randolph’s leadership, Chattanooga 2.0 fully embraced its cradle-to-career mission with a constant focus on driving economic mobility for our kids. Dr. Stewart’s background in both academic and non-profit sectors will help build upon and deepen the momentum and partnerships that have made that possible,” stated Charles Wood, CEO of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.

About Dr. Sonia Stewart

A Tennessee native, Dr. Sonia Stewart brings deep educational and organizational leadership to her new role. As Deputy Superintendent for Hamilton County Schools, she oversees teaching and learning, opportunity and access, student supports, and school supervision, serving on the district’s Executive Cabinet to advance strategic priorities.

Previously, Dr. Stewart served as Community Superintendent for the MidTown Learning Community, leading a turnaround effort that improved student achievement across the network. Prior to joining Hamilton County Schools, she served as Executive Officer for Organizational Development for Metro Nashville Public Schools, where she designed leadership frameworks, strengthened talent systems, and advanced district-wide instructional initiatives. She has also served as a school principal, earning Principal of the Year honors and recognition for school excellence.

Dr. Stewart also led the formation of the Oaks Community Development Corporation, a collective impact organization where she served as executive director and built a broad network of partner organizations focused on driving change for students and families at the neighborhood level in Chicago.

Dr. Stewart holds an Ed.D. in Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Trevecca University, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Biola University.

About Chattanooga 2.0

Chattanooga 2.0 was established in 2015 and is a small nonprofit that works to change systems to make generational changes in Chattanooga and Hamilton County. The ultimate goal is to improve economic opportunity and quality of life—and Chattanooga 2.0 believes education attainment is the first step. From early childhood education to a thriving-wage career, the team leads initiatives to remove systemic barriers and provide intentional support to children, students, and their families. For more information, visit chatt2.org. 

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