Akron Public Schools Director of Communications Mark Williamson to retire

Akron Public Schools Director of Communications Mark Williamson is retiring, effective Oct. 31.

The school board approved his retirement Monday night.

Williamson has been the public voice and face of the district through internal and external communications since 2013, serving multiple administrations.

"I've had the privilege of a front-row seat to watch our amazing teachers, principals, and dedicated staff for a dozen years," Williamson said in a statement. "And I can't say enough about the many gifted administrators who have persisted through change after difficult change."

Prior to his tenure at APS, Williamson was the spokesman for the city of Akron for 15 years under then-Mayor Don Plusquellic. Before that, he had a lengthy career in broadcasting, including as the news director and anchor at Channel 23.

Superintendent Michael Robinson said at Monday's board meeting he planned to hire a replacement for the senior-staff role, but that he would be bringing a new job description with "extensive changes" to the board to approve.

Williamson's announced retirement comes two weeks after Robinson asked the board to create an executive director position in the communications department. His request did not get enough votes on the board to pass.

The board had already approved adding three new positions to the department, one of which has been filled. Robinson said the other two would not be filled in order to save money.

Robinson said the executive director position was needed so the district "can defend ourselves in the media."

Monday, he said he is frequently pulling people from other jobs in the district to "write stories," and that APS has a significantly smaller communications department than other urban school districts.

"I'm not asking the board to give me what our neighbor's have," he said. "I'm just asking to get something so that we're able to do a little bit more than we're doing.

Another position was cut from the department Monday night, in a single-person reduction in force. Yamini Adkins, the district's executive director of human capital, told the board the communications department was undergoing review to see what positions were necessary, and a programmer analyst position was determined to be unnecessary. That position is currently filled, and that person was laid off Monday night.

Contact education reporter Jennifer Pignolet at jpignolet@thebeaconjournal.com, at 330-996-3216 or on Twitter @JenPignolet.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Public Schools Director of Communications Mark Williamson to retire