DoDEA Pacific East District selects Mr. Jorma Young as Community Superintendent

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Pacific East District is pleased to announce the selection of Mr. Jorma Young as the Community Superintendent for Iwakuni, Sasebo, and Yokosuka.

Mr. Young brings more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience in education to the role. As an accomplished senior leader, he has held supervisory positions at the school, district, and regional levels, where he has led transformative initiatives, driven systemic improvements, and consistently surpassed organizational objectives. His expertise includes leveraging data to inform instruction, developing powerful coalitions with military and community partners, and leading curriculum and instructional initiatives that yield significant gains in student achievement. 

He joins the Pacific East team from the DoDEA Europe Region Office in Sembach, Germany, where he served as the Chief for the Center of Instructional Leadership (CIL) since May 2018. As CIL Chief, Mr. Young led the development of regionwide improvement planning process, managing a multi-disciplinary team to ensure high academic achievement for all students, providing professional leadership for instructional programs across Europe, and delivering systemic professional learning to more than 200 senior and school leaders.

Prior to his tenure in Europe, Mr. Young served the Pacific East District in multiple capacities, including Staff Development Coach, Acting Principal, and Special Education Assistant Principal. During this time, he utilized his extensive experience to support the implementation of College and Career Literacy and Mathematics standards.

Before joining DoDEA, Mr. Young served in a variety of school leadership roles in Hillsborough County, Florida School District, beginning his career in 1999 as a drop-out prevention teacher. As the Supervisor of Academic Programs, he coached leaders in instructional leadership and leading instructional improvement. Mr. Young also spent five years as a District Director with the College Board, where he established strategic partnerships with superintendents across the state of Florida to increase student performance and college readiness. He successfully helped districts establish Advanced Placement pipelines that significantly increased enrollment.

Mr. Young holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Science Education and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida. Passionate about data analysis and its use in improving student achievement, he earned a second Master of Science in Management Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University. He is also passionate about technology and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Instructional Design and Technology at Liberty University.

Mr. Young and his wife, Wendy, are the proud parents of two adult daughters, both of whom are graduates of Ramstein High School. Their eldest, Abigail, graduated from college in 2023 and is happily married, while their youngest daughter, Madalyn, is currently a sophomore in college. The Young family values education, community, and lifelong learning, and they look forward to becoming active members of the Yokota community.