Heather Hartman for Oak Ridge Board of Education

“Committed to Excellence, Focused on Our Future.”

Dr. Heather Hartman is honored to serve as a member of the Oak Ridge Schools Board of Education, representing the parents, staff, and students of the district. She is committed to listening to all voices in the community and working to ensure that Oak Ridge Schools remain excellent for every student. Her dedication is deeply personal—her son, Mitchell Gibbons, thrived at Jefferson Middle School and Oak Ridge High School, and she is passionate about preserving and enhancing that experience for future generations.

A resident of Oak Ridge for over a decade, Dr. Hartman works in the Provost Office at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership with a specialization in school administration, and her dissertation on teacher tenure laws was nominated for a national award by the Education Law Association. She also earned an Education Specialist degree in Educational Leadership, a master’s degree in Management from Troy University (attending classes at night), and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (Management) from Auburn University.

Dr. Hartman is a proven and dedicated leader and volunteer. While living in Georgia, she served four years as a Cub Scout leader, even serving as "Popcorn Chair!" Her first year in Oak Ridge, she became PTO President at Jefferson Middle School and later served on the PTA-PTO Council. She has been an active supporter of Oak Ridge athletics—serving as President of the Jefferson Middle School football boosters, then as President of the Oak Ridge High School Quarterback Club, where she also led advertising efforts and designed and produced the printed Wildcat Football program for five years.

She lives in Oak Ridge with her husband of 17 years, Cleon Hartman, an Oak Ridge native and proud Wildcat alum. Her son Mitchell attended Oak Ridge Schools from 5th grade through his 2021 graduation. Cleon and his children—April (Wolford), Tanner, and Reid Hartman—are also graduates of Oak Ridge High School. Cleon's mother, the late Pat Bonney Hartman, was ORHS cheer captain!