Board of Public Education
Contact Us:
208 Bull Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 395-5534
District 2 - Dr. Dionne Hoskins-Brown
Dr. Hoskins-Brown was born in Hampton, Virginia and began her education in the Savannah Chatham County Public Schools at Gould Elementary when her family settled in Savannah in 1980. In 1999, shortly after college and graduate school, she worked briefly as a Marine Science Postdoctoral Fellow at SSU. Soon after she was assigned by the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) of NOAA Fisheries to develop a Cooperative Marine Education and Research (CMER) program at the university, the first of its kind at a historically black university. She currently oversees NOAA Sponsored Programs at SSU. Her research with undergraduate and graduate students focuses on the ecology of marine invertebrates. Her program also hosts a marine science camp for local students and the African American Fisherman Oral History Project. Her work with students garnered her the Emmeline Moore Prize from the American Fisheries Society in 2016, their highest award for an individual whose life work has contributed to diversity in fisheries.
Dr. Hoskins-Brown has been active in the Savannah community by volunteering with the Savannah Black Heritage Festival, local organizations, and regional boards related to marine education and environmental leadership. She has chaired the Tybee Marine Science Foundation, presided over the Beach-Cuyler Bulldogs United for Community and Schools, and served on the Board of Directors for the Institute on Georgia Environmental Leadership. A graduate of Leadership Savannah, and Leadership Southeast Georgia, Dr. Hoskins-Brown was named as one of the “40 Under 40” by the Savannah Business Report & Journal and Georgia Trend Magazine. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and the Savannah (GA) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated.
Her vision for the district is one that is inclusive and that uses its resources to meets the needs of all its students and staff. She values accountability and transparency and chairs the District Accountability System Committee. She also serves on the Board Audit and Wellness committees and is the Board Vice President.
She and her husband Akino Brown live peacefully in the Live Oak neighborhood with their two dogs.
Term of Service: January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2028
Occupation: Fishery Biologist, NOAA Fisheries Service and Director, NOAA Programs at Savannah State University
Education: Beach High School, 1988; Bachelor of Science with major in Marine Biology, Savannah State College, 1992; and Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Sciences, University of South Carolina, 1999.
Phone: (912) 484-5437