Christopher S. Bernier, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Dr. Christopher Bernier was sworn in as Superintendent of Schools of the School District of Lee County on May 16, 2022. With nearly 100,000 students and 13,000+ employees, Dr. Bernier will lead the 9th largest school district in Florida and 32nd largest in the U.S. His priority as Superintendent is to lead with a student-centered philosophy and ensure that the district’s strategic plan will meet the academic and social emotional needs of our students. Dr. Bernier also plans to prioritize the district’s budget to ensure that the district is being fiscally responsible and good stewards of taxpayer dollars.

The district’s core values will guide Dr. Bernier’s leadership:

• Excellence
• Integrity
• High Expectations
• Accountability
• Belief in Students
• Professionalism

Prior to Lee County, Dr. Bernier served as the Chief of Staff for the Clark County School District (CCSD) in Las Vegas, Nevada, the fifth largest school district in the country. For three years, he helped to execute the student-centered vision of the Clark County District for the over 300,000 students and 42,000 employees, investing an annual budget in excess of $5 billion. As an Executive Cabinet leader, Dr. Bernier led many projects, including a few below:

• Emergency Operations and COVID Response Commander
• Lead Member of District’s Negotiation Team
• Chairman of the Diversity’s Inclusion and Equity Committee for Goals and Objectives
• Chairman and Digital One to One Project Lead
• Chief Facilitator Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee
• Chairman of the Community and School Safety Committee

Before being recruited to Las Vegas, Dr. Bernier served Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) from 1987 until 2019. He was a devoted classroom teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal at middle, high and virtual schools, Director of Professional Development and Associate Superintendent. His final promotion with OCPS resulted in Dr. Bernier leading the Office of School Choice where he was responsible for all choice options including Alternative Education, Charter Schools, Orange County Virtual School, K-12 Magnet Programs, School Age Services, Student Enrollment, Teen Parent Program and Home Education. These responsibilities supported the vision and mission of OCPS and influenced the trajectory for more than 200,000 students, 25,000 team members and a budget in excess of 2.2 billion dollars.

Dr. Bernier has received numerous recognitions for his work including being named Florida Principal for the Year by The Florida PTA. Throughout his career, he has remained a devoted student advocate and has fostered, nurtured, and maintained safe and positive learning environments wherever he has the opportunity to serve. Dr. Bernier has a proven capacity for developing and implementing equitable educational improvement efforts, advancing access for all, and raising student achievement through shared leadership with school leaders, educators, students and community members.

Dr. Bernier earned his undergraduate degree in History and Education from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern and his doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida.