Dr. Gordon-Smith joins ALA Lexington JH/HS from a ALA campus located in Arizona where he served as the high school director. Before coming to ALA, he worked as director of student leadership and taught 11th and 12th grade English at Phoenix Country Day School. Dr. Gordon-Smith earned his PhD in English from Emory University in Atlanta, GA where he also worked as assistant professor of American literature. 

Before completing his terminal degree, Dr. Gordon-Smith completed his undergraduate and graduate work at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, and taught in the BYU English department as assistant professor of English. He brings to his new position two decades of teaching and administrative experience, three advanced degrees, and training in organizational and educational leadership from Northwestern University and Harvard University, respectively. Dr. Gordon-Smith’s commitment to ALA and its mission, vision and values runs deep. He withdrew his five children from the best private school in the Southwest and enrolled them in ALA because he loves the R.A.I.S.E. values and wanted an educational experience for his kids that offered both academic rigor and a values-based education.