Todd Anthony Walker

About Todd Anthony Walker

Dr. Todd Anthony Walker is an education leader and advocate for all students. He was appointed superintendent and CEO of Richland One School District in South Carolina July 1, 2025, with a mandate to lead transformative change through appreciation and collaboration with all stakeholders. Previously, Dr. Walker served as Chief Curriculum and Instruction Officer (CCIO) for Columbus City Schools, leading all teaching and learning offices within the largest school district in Ohio. He is a systems thinker and leader with a track record of integrating talent, resources, and strategies to increase organizational effectiveness, improve student outcomes and close performance gaps. As an educator for over 25 years, Dr. Walker has served as a teacher, professor, instructional coach, principal, director, chief officer, and superintendent. Todd is the author of the blog, Empowering to Lead, sharing leadership systems, structures, process and practices with a community of learning leaders, and he is the founder of R.E.A.L. Young men, a 4-volume training program designed to equip young men in educational settings. Dr. Walker has also published in several academic journals, including the Columbia Human Rights Law Review, the Journal of Negro Education, and the Journal of Education and Urban Society. He was a chapter contributor to the book Leading Schools in Disruptive Times: How to Survive Hyper-Change. Dr. Walker earned his Bachelor of Arts, Master’s in English education, and Doctorate in Education Policy and Leadership from The Ohio State University, and his Juris Doctorate from Capital University Law School.Todd is married to Dr. Kenyona Nicole Walker, and together, they continue to provide guidance and mentorship to their young adult son and daughter, Daniel and Terilyn. He is a former marathoner converted triathlete and enjoys listening to vinyl records across several music genres (especially jazz), finding new places to dine-out with his wife, and hanging out with his two Australian labradoodles, Mylo and Maye. His greatest desire is to empower people to transform systems.

Experience

1. Superintendent & CEO

   Richland School District One

   Jul 2025 — Present · Columbia, SC, US

   Dr. Todd Anthony Walker is an education leader and advocate for all students. He was appointed superintendent of Richland One School District in South Carolina July 1, 2025, with a mandate to lead transformative change through appreciation and collaboration with all stakeholders.

Education

• The Ohio State University

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Education Policy and Leadership

• Capital University Law School

  Doctor of Law - JD