Dr. Eric Mackey, a longtime Alabama educator and administrator, was selected Friday as the next state superintendent of education by the Alabama State Board of Education.

Mackey currently serves as the executive director of the School Superintendents of Alabama, but he got his start as a high school science teacher in Calhoun County, where he also coached track and field and wrestling. He later became principal of Kitty Stone Elementary School in Jacksonville and rose to the position of superintendent of Jacksonville City Schools.

It was during that time Dr. Trey Holladay, superintendent of Athens City Schools, crossed paths with Mackey. As the former principal at Oxford High School, Holladay often collaborated with Mackey, whose district was nearby.

“Everything I have ever known about Eric is very positive,” Holladay said. “He is a thinker. He’s always thinking about improvement and betterment and finding logical solutions to problems.”

As state superintendent, Mackey will oversee a budget of nearly $8 billion in combined federal, state and local spending and the education of students in 137 school districts. Mackey will manage $5 billion in federal and state funds, while local superintendents will oversee about $3 billion in local tax dollars.

Holladay believes Mackey’s diverse background and Alabama roots make him an ideal candidate for the job, because he possesses an insider’s perspective.

“He came up in a rural county system. He has worked in a city system and at the state level,” Holladay said. “Working in all of those areas gives him an advantage.”

“We have a unique state where we have high expectations in education to better Alabama, but we run on a very small budget compared to other states,” he added. “You can’t just throw money at a problem in this state. You have to come up with alternate solutions. He understands that we have to work within the boundaries we have.”

According to job postings for the position, Mackey will be making a salary in the range of $192,000 to $250,000. The position also comes with an “excellent comprehensive benefits package.”

Dr. Tom Sisk, superintendent of Limestone County Schools, said he has known Mackey for over a decade, having first met the administrator through the Boy Scouts of America. Both were unit leaders at various Boy Scouts camps attended by their children.

As a local superintendent, Sisk has worked with Mackey for the last seven years.

“I think Eric possesses personal skills and connections and relationships to work with various stake holders to build consensus,” Sisk said. “He can bring people together to commonly solve problems.”

Holladay agreed that Mackey’s connections with Alabama lawmakers will give him a distinct advantage as state superintendent.

Mackey holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Jacksonville State University. He also holds a master’s in biology, an education specialist degree and a doctorate in educations leadership from the University of Alabama.

He will take over as state superintendent May 14.