deborahDeborah Hunter-Harvill, Ed.D.

Dr. Deborah Hunter-Harvill is a professional service-oriented educator that advocates excellence for children, teachers, support staff and parents. Dr. Harvill has worked in education for thirty years. During that time she has learned from experts, experienced good and bad days in education, and developed a plan of action to strengthen and heal wounds that paralyze the proactive growth of students. Dr. Harvill is a visionary and believes that excellence should be the norm. In addition, she has a zero tolerance for mediocrity and failure to educate children and those who do not try to succeed. Dr. Harvill has galvanized several school staff, students, parents and stakeholders to afford all students a right to education. She is known for mentoring teachers to become educational leaders and entrepreneurs. She currently serves as Superintendent of the Westwood Heights School District in Flint, Michigan.

Dr. Harvill has served as a teacher for general education, special education and language arts, Grades K-12. Dr. Harvill's administration experience includes serving as a Title I Coordinator, a Professional Development Administrator, a School Reform Director, a Special Education Director, and Principal of an Elementary school, a middle school and K-8 schools. She has worked at the Friends School in Detroit (a private Quaker institution), in the Hazel Park School District, the Oak Park School District and the Detroit Public Schools. Diversity, enhancing organizational school culture and understanding school data have been her celebrated strengths. Several educators respect her as one of the most diligent turn around specialists in the metropolitan area.

Dr. Harvill has been the recipient of the 2006 MET Life Community Awards where she received a $5000 first place salute to utilize within the school community. She has also been honored as a Distinguished Alumni from the prestigious Marygrove College. Dr. Harvill has served as Foundation Chairman of the National Alliance of Black School Educators, where she led the charge of raising over $200,000 in scholarships for young adolescents all over the country and strengthened the endowment of the scholarship fund. In 2004, Dr. Harvill was nominated and elected to serve as President-Elect of the National Alliance of Black School Educators for the 2005-2007 year. She ascended to become President in 2007 and will serve until November 2009. Her agenda is fitting for such a time as we live in today. She firmly believes that "Education Is a Civil Right" and that educators must employ 21st century thinking and futuristic practices to create excitement among youth that will excite them about learning, leading and planning for the future. Most recently, in February of 2008, Dr. Harvill was named one of fifty Women of Excellence by the Michigan Chronicle and is cited in "Who's Who in Metropolitan Detroit".

Dr. Harvill received her Educational Doctorate from Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan) in 1994 with an emphasis in Administration and Supervision. She received her Master's Degree in Special Education and Leadership and her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Marygrove College with an emphasis on K-8 education, 9th Grade Social Sciences and Reading. Dr. Harvill has studied at Brown University in Rhode Island, Harvard University in Boston, and with the Michigan Institute for Educational Management (MIEM) as a SUPES Academy participant.

Dr. Harvill is civic minded and has served on many committees, including the Governor's Transition Team and the Superintendent's Search for Detroit Public Schools. She is a member of several professional organizations. She is a member of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the National Middle School Association (NMS), the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated (Detroit Alumni Chapter) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

She is the mother of two children, Jevin Hunter (Western Michigan University Alumni) of Los Angeles, California, Krystle Hunter (Michigan State University Alumni) of Lansing, Michigan. She is married to Walter Harvill (A Detroit area businessman) and she is a member of the New Prospect Missionary Baptist Church where she has served as Church Trustee.