HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — The Henry County Board of Education approved its new superintendent in a unanimous vote on Tuesday.

Dr. John Pace III will start his tenure with Henry County Schools on Sept. 3.

“I am humbled and grateful to be selected as the Superintendent of Henry County Schools,” Pace said. “I thank the Board of Education for this opportunity and look forward to providing servant leadership as we work together ‘In Pursuit of Exceptional’ for all students.”

The board started looking for its superintendent back in February and announced Pace as the sole finalist in July.

State law required that the board must follow a 14-day waiting period between announcing a finalist and voting on the position. That gives parents and students time to get to know the candidate or raise any concerns.

Pace joins Henry County Schools from Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where he worked as Deputy Superintendent.

In the role, he assisted the superintendent with overseeing the Office of School Leadership and Performance. Miami-Dade County Public Schools has 350 K-12 and technical colleges with more than 240,000 students.

Henry County Schools is the eighth-largest district in Georgia with 53 schools and 43,000 students.

Pace earned his bachelor, masters and doctorate degrees from the University of Miami, Florida International University and the College of William and Mary respectively.