BCPS Superintendent Profile
Oliver W. Spencer Jr., Ph.D.
Oliver W. Spencer Jr., Ph.D. a native Texan is an educator, consultant, dynamic speaker, administrator and humanitarian. As a consultant, he provides keynote addresses, workshops to educators, and in-services nationally. He received the 2000 Citizen of the Year Award presented by Alpha Alpha Chapter Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He was the Man of the Year for the South Central Negro Business and Professional Women's Organization in Dallas, Texas; and also received the UPS Community Service award.
He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Prairie View A&M University. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, where he received a Masters degree and a Ph.D., both of which were in the field of Education Administration.
He served as a Director of K-12 At-Risk Instruction for the Kansas City, KS Unified School District #500 and Coordinator of the African-American Male Leadership Academy. Dr. Spencer is the former Chairman of the Board of the National Council of African-American Men. He has served as vice-president of Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas and an adjunct college instructor, high school and middle school principal, teacher, coach, Deputy Commissioner of Human Rights in Minnesota. He has served as Assistant Superintendent in the Newport News Public School System and Superintendent in the Middlesex County Public School System becoming its first African-American Superintendent. While Dr. Spencer served as Superintendent in Middlesex, all schools became fully accredited and made AYP for the 2005-2006 school year. He instituted the first staff awards and recognition banquet in Middlesex County Public Schools. He is currently the first appointed African-American Superintendent of the Brunswick County Public School System. In 2007, Dr. Spencer was inducted into the Middlesex County Hall of Fame.
Dr. Spencer was a three-year letterman in football at Prairie View A&M University. He had a brief stint in professional football and was a contributor to a most recently published book entitled, "Rough Diamonds - A Coach's Journey", by Tommy Reamon with Ron Whitenack (2003). He was also a contributor to the Southside Sentinel, "School Talk", in Middlesex County.
The list of topics covered in his speeches includes: A Passion for Teaching and Compassion for Learning, How to Help Staff Make a Difference with High Risk Students, Classroom Presentation that Integrates the Curriculum, Motivating the Staff with Incentives, Career Development for Black Males, Let's Talk about Role Models, Unity In a World of Diversity, and Making a Difference. Dr. Spencer is also the author of the First and Ten Mentoring Manual and designer of the First and Ten Mentoring Program.
Dr. Spencer serves on numerous boards and participates in many civic and professional community organizations. He is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, American Association of School Administrators, Virginia School Board Association, Virginia Association of School Superintendents, Peninsula Chapter of 100 Black Men, Phi Delta Kappa, National Alliance of Black School Educators, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, NAACP, former member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the former chairman of the board of the National Council of African-American Men. He is a former member of the Rotary Club of Middlesex County and a current member of the Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce. He has been serving as a church Deacon over twenty-five years.
Dr. Spencer is married to Mrs. Anita Faber Spencer and has two adult sons: Oliver W. Spencer III, George Frederick Spencer and a grandson, Oliver W. Spencer IV. He is the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Oliver W. (Earline A.) Spencer Sr. of Terrell, Texas and the son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. George A. (Nerline) Faber Sr. of Kilgore, Texas.