WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — ​The Williamsville Central School District has hired a new superintendent. Dr. Darren Brown-Hall will take over from Interim Superintendent John McKenna.

For the past six years, Brown-Hall has been the chief of staff for Buffalo Public Schools, working to improve student academic results, close the achievement gap, and helping with career and college readiness.

He began his career as a teacher.

“I want people to know that I am transparent, I am responsive and a hard worker. The best way to mend fences is to make sure you listen with curiosity, and you also want to understand where people are coming from, so get behind their thinking, not necessarily their thought, and with that I want to show that me, myself, the board, are going to be very collaborative as we move forward,” Dr. Brown-Hall said.

Former Williamsville Superintendent Scott Martzloff resigned last year after being placed on administrative leave.

The district was also heavily criticized for how it handed its reopening plan.

McKenna will continue to serve as acting superintendent through June 30, and will then transition back to assistant superintendent for Human Resources.