Dr. Hank M. Bounds was named State Superintendent of Education for Mississippi on June 23, 2005. He began work on August 01.

Born in Hattiesburg, MS., he was educated in the public schools of this state graduating from Forrest County Agricultural High School in Brooklyn, MS., in 1985. His undergraduate degree in secondary education was earned at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1991. His master ‘s degree in Educational Administration was conferred by the University of Southern Mississippi in 1994. A Doctoral of Philosophy degree was conferred by the University of Mississippi in 2000. He received the National Reading Renaissance Award for the most improvement in reading as measured by Accelerated Reader in 2003, and was honored as Education Alumnus of the Year from the University of Mississippi in 2003. He was awarded the National Association of Secondary School Principals' Administrator of the Year for Mississippi in 2001.

Before becoming Mississippi's State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Bounds served as superintendent of the Pascagoula School District for four years. In this role he improved test scores at every school in the district while significantly closing the achievement gap among all subgroups, and designed and implemented a leadership/school improvement model that provided the impetus for both high schools in the district to be nominated as National Blue Ribbon Schools in 2005. During his tenure as superintendent, the district horizontally and vertically aligned the district curriculum, created and implemented a kindergarten induction program, “Kindergarten Discovery,” for parents and students, and created a Center for Teaching and Learning for the district, enhancing the professional development process.

Dr. Bounds also directed a strategic planning process for the district that involved more than 300 community members, and designed and implemented a public relations campaign, “Superior – Expect It!” that involved and engaged every stakeholder group in the community in achieving the goal of “superior” on the newly revised State Accreditation Model for the Pascagoula School District in 2002.

In his 14 years experience as a professional educator, he created an educational recognition rally for students held annually at the end of the school year with more than 10,000 community members in attendance. Community members and businesses finance the entire rally with more than 1,000 bikes and hundreds of computers and other technology devices given away as incentives for improved student achievement, behavior and attendance.

Dr. Bounds implemented an individualized student-reading program that has gained national exposure as students in grades kindergarten through eight read an average of 100 books per year. He designed a mobile reading and tutoring bus, “Storyland Express,” filled with books and a computer, which is used as a tutoring tool after school and serves as a safe place where children can read while their parents shop at local grocery stores during the summer.

Prior to being named Pascagoula Schools Superintendent, he served as principal of Pascagoula High School for two years. Before coming to Pascagoula, Dr. Bounds was principal in Lumberton, a school district with about 1,000 students in grades K-12. He was named principal of his alma mater, Forrest County High School, at the age of 26. He also taught at Petal and Moss Point high schools before entering into administration.

Dr. Bounds was appointed to the Southeast Regional Advisory Board for the United States Department of Education, and to the USDE National Forum on Education Statistics.

In addition to his career in education, Dr. Bounds served in the Mississippi Army National Guard, including duty at Camp Shelby during the Persian Gulf War.

Dr. Bounds and his wife, Susie, are the parents of a son, Will, and a daughter, Caroline.