A longtime educator who has spent several decades teaching at and leading public schools in Baltimore County has accepted the job of superintendent of Harford County's public schools.
Harford's Board of Education announced the appointment of Robert Tomback on Wednesday.
The 58-year-old Timonium resident has served since 2007 as area assistant superintendent for northeastern Baltimore County, with responsibility for 34 schools and about 25,000 students. Starting July 1, he will oversee nearly 40,000 students and about 5,000 employees in 54 Harford schools.
"Harford County presented an opportunity where I could continue to make a contribution and move a strong school system forward," he said Wednesday at the schools administrative building in Bel Air.
Tomback's career began as a social studies teacher in New York City. The city's financial crisis in the mid-1970s led to furloughs for 6,000 teachers, including Tomback and his wife, Christine.
"We landed in Baltimore and are both still here," he said.
The graduate of City College of New York earned a doctorate in human development education at the University of Maryland.
His tenure in Baltimore County includes classroom and administrative experience, with a dozen years as principal of Catonsville High School. He sees many similarities between northeastern Baltimore County and Harford.
"There is a richness and diversity in both communities," he said. "And both are talking about preparations for BRAC."
The nationwide military base reorganization, known as BRAC, will bring as many as 30,000 new residents to Harford within the next two years and is expected to greatly affect school enrollment.
His first priority will be to become acclimated, he said.
"The major initial challenge here will be getting to know everyone and everything as quickly and thoroughly as I can," he said. "Every employee in Harford County has a hand in shaping the lives of our children."
He also will maintain an open-door policy for parents, he said.
"We all have the same stake and share in the responsibility for the education of these children," he said.
Tomback was among the four candidates narrowed from a list of 17 who emerged after Harford officials launched a nationwide search soon after the death in December of Harford Superintendent Jacqueline C. Haas.
