Principal
Kevin Hurst
Email: kevinhurst@sevier.org

This is my thirtieth year in education. I started out as a special education teacher and did that job for nine years. I then became an assistant principal at Sevier County High School and stayed in that role for nineteen years. I am now in my second year as Principal of Gary Hardin Academy and I am loving this opportunity. I truly enjoy working with this group of students, faculty, and staff.

Assistant Principal
Kara Roberts
Email: kararoberts@sevier.org

Kara Roberts has lived in Sevier County since 1994 and is a graduate of Gatlinburg-Pittman High School.  She earned her BA in Special Education from East Tennessee State University, Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Carson Newman University, and Educational Specialist in Instructional Leadership from Lincoln Memorial University.  She has worked at Hardin Academy and the Alternative school since 2007.

Assistant Principal
Amy James
Email: AmyJames@sevier.org

Mrs. Amy James has 31 years of teaching and administrative experience. Of those 31 years, she has more than 18 years of administrative experience. Mrs. James was most recently the assistant principal at the Gatlinburg- Pittman High School serving there since 2019. From 2015-2019, James taught and coached in the Sevier County School System. Along with teaching duties, she was the head women's basketball coach at Johnson University, where her team finished 6th at the 2018-2019 National Tournament. Prior to her appointment in Sevier County Schools and as the head coach of Johnson University, James spent time with Knox County Schools as a teacher and administrator. James was the first female athletic director in Knox County Schools history. She is a member of the Morristown West High School Hall of Fame and Knoxville KIL Coaching Association. Mrs. James and her husband, Chuck, have three children; Molly (Dalton), Branson, and Colt. They enjoy spending family time together on the lake, in the mountains, and at the beach. They attend Pathways Church. 

• AS. Elementary Education, Walters State Community College 89
• BS. Elementary Education, Lincoln Memorial University 91
• MS. Educational Administration and Supervision, 98
• EdS. Educational Administration and Supervision, 07