A North Hills High School graduate who was voted most likely to teach in the district will start next school year as one of the top administrators in a neighboring community.

Brian Brown, 42, will become Shaler Area School District’s new assistant superintendent in August.

He grew up in the North Hills and graduated 2000.

“I’m excited to be back in the North Hills,” he said during a TribLive interview June 17. I grew up in the neighboring school district. It has great leadership, great potential and a great community. … I’ve a passion for working with kids and helping them reach their fullest potential. It’s really what I strive for each and every day.”

The board hired Brown via 7-0 vote at a special meeting June 12.

School director Dorothy Petrancosta was absent.

Board member James Fisher passed away May 14. He served on the board for 29 years and was a representative at the A.W. Beattie Career Center as well as a board member for the Hampton Shaler Water Authority. He was 73.

The district had yet to appoint someone to fill Fisher’s unexpired term as of presstime.

“Mr. Brown has proven himself to be an innovator who embraces the opportunities that education provides students. We know that his contributions will enhance the exceptional education offered in our district and look forward to his leadership in our schools and across the district,” said school board President April Kwiatkowski.

District spokeswoman Carrie Butler said Brown was selected out of “a very competitive pool of candidates of which represented varied backgrounds of educational experience.”

Deputy Superintendent Bryan O’Black said Brown’s experience and skills set him apart from the pack.

“Mr. Brown has demonstrated exceptional expertise, leadership skills and a forward-thinking approach to educational administration,” said O’Black, the incoming superintendent of schools. “His extensive experience in technology integration, security, systems leadership, instructional design and innovative educational practices makes him a great fit for Shaler Area. I am confident that he will develop long-lasting relationships with our students, staff and community all to ensure that our mission and vision is being articulated through our programs.”

Brown said he will have an open-door policy and looks forward to working with Shaler Area families. His starting salary is $131,500.

The resume

Brown has been in public education for 18 years.

He currently serves as Penn Hills School District’s assistant to the superintendent for technology, innovation, safety and security.

He served in that capacity since February. He was Penn Hills’ director of technology and innovation in July 2023 and an associate principal from August 2014 through June 2019.

Brown was instrumental in developing the district’s cyber academy, which was designed to provide an alternative for Penn Hills-area families at charter and online schools.

He also worked as a principal for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, Community School West in McKees Rocks and Auberle in McKeesport.

Before getting into public education, Brown served as a production assistant at WQED in the early 2000s.

He was at the station for the final tapings of the iconic “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and was involved in several shows, including “Age Wise.”

Brown said he learned a lot from his time at WQED, including audience analysis, customer service and how to tailor messages.

He believes those skills help him connect with students and families.

Brown has a bachelor’s degree in communication from Robert Morris University, a master’s in leadership and administration from Duquesne University and is in the doctoral program for leadership and administration at Point Park University.

Brown, his wife, Kristin, and their two children live in the Allison Park area. Their children go to school at Deer Lakes.

Members of the community will be invited to meet Brown during Coffee & Conversation events planned for the early weeks of the 2024-25 school year. Details and a schedule for those school-based events will be shared in August.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)