MADISON – Nelson Brown is leaving his position as Principal at Liberty Middle School to work as Principal of Athens Renaissance School.

The Board of Education for Athens City Schools recently announced Brown’s appointment.

Since his internship, Brown has worked with Madison City Schools. He taught sixth-graders and then served as assistant principal at Heritage Elementary School. Next, he was principal at Columbia Elementary School before accepting the Liberty principal position. 

Brown told “Madison Living” magazine in 2016 about several accomplishments that gave him pride while at Liberty. “Together, we have started some things that we feel are good for the students of Liberty.” Among those innovations, he cited campus and grounds improvements, creation of a new student schedule and the “Summer @ the Den” program of study and recreation.

In addition, a state-sanctioned outdoor classroom has created learning centers to experiment and explore on Liberty’s campus. Opened in spring 2016, the space is called “LMS Living Laboratory. This project exemplifies collaborative efforts of our faculty, students and community partners … along with Alabama Wildlife Federation,” Brown said. 

Brown’s father and mother also were educators. “I always appreciated seeing how hard they worked for students. Observing their passion for helping youth was a good example for me to follow,” Brown said.

At Athens State University, Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in education. He then earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of West Alabama. With Walden University, he obtained educational specialist credentials in instructional leadership.

His wife Suzie and he grew up in Miami, Fla. They moved to Alabama to enroll at Oakwood University, where they started dating and eventually married. Suzie teaches at Academy for Sciences and Foreign Languages in Huntsville.

The Browns have three teenage sons: Nelson Jr., Kobe and Branden.