Candidate: Stacy Hahn

Stacy Hahn, Ph.D. is a lifelong educator and has been a Hillsborough County School Board member since 2018. Her career spans three decades with positions at every level of the K-20 spectrum, including: school board member, public school teacher, student advocate, grant facilitator, program coordinator, educational researcher, and university professor.  

As a school board member, Stacy has been instrumental in initiatives supporting literacy, expanding early childhood classrooms, STEM, fiscal transparency, creating multiple pathways to graduation,expanding career and technical education programs, and developing community/school partnerships.

Beyond her school board member responsibilities, Stacy has spearheaded several initiatives that focus on literacy and STEM, such as the Early Childhood Literacy Fair, Storytime Online, Authors Chat Book Club, and Hahn Holiday Book Tour. Most recently, she integrated STEM, art, and literacy into STEAM events that teach coding through storybooks and also worked with community partners to create a Rocket & Robots Spring Break Camp. Stacy is the president of Literacy is Key 501(c3), which has the specific purpose of providing an ongoing source of books and educational resources to improve the literacy and school readiness skills of children throughout Hillsborough County. Through her Early Childhood Literacy Fairs Stacy has gifted over 40,000 books to over 10,000 children across Hillsborough County.

Prior to serving on the school board, Stacy was the director of professional development and partnerships for the University of South Florida (USF), College of Education, as well as the associate director of the USF-David C. Anchin Center. Stacy was a faculty member in the USF, College of Education Department of Teaching and Learning where she taught both undergraduate and graduate courses that prepared future teachers and she also served as the coordinator of USF’s special education undergraduate program. She began her career as a special education teacher, teaching special edication and gifted education at schools in Broward, Alachua and Hillsborough Counties.

Stacy serves on the board of directors for Zoo Tampa, Tampa Museum of Art, and Hillsborough Education Foundation, and also represents Hillsborough County on the Value Adjustment Board. She is a member of the MacDill Council for Educational Excellence and created school policy that supports a seamless transition and stable education environment for military students while they are attending Hillsborough County schools. 

Stacy earned a Ph.D. in early childhood special education and research from the University of Florida. She has published numerous professional articles and presented at various national and international education conferences.

Stacy lives in Tampa with her husband, Jeff Hahn, their three children, Ethan, Jackson, and Aidan, and their dog, Murphy. She enjoys local sporting events, gardening, and reading a good book.