Turning data into opportunity

“Helping education entities use their data assets to better serve students and families—that’s the headline goal for my career.”

Before joining the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU), Hoover taught ninth-grade English in New Orleans through Teach for America. “When I graduated, I was interested in working in a higher-needs school district,” Hoover said.

Hoover loved teaching, but he soon realized that many of the challenges facing students extended beyond the classroom. “I can do a really good job with a student in one year and then realize all kinds of things can fall to pieces,” he said. “A lot of those things have nothing to do with what goes on in the four walls of a classroom.”

His experience in New Orleans inspired him to think more broadly about how systems and support services shape student outcomes. That perspective took him to the Crossroads Foundation in Pittsburgh, where he coordinated leadership programs, career exploration opportunities, and internships for students from low-income families.

The nonprofit work increased his interest in educational systems and prompted him to enroll in the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University to pursue graduate studies in public policy. Once there, he found himself drawn to data and its potential to drive meaningful change.

“You really can move the needle on some things, even if you’re further away from direct impact, by leveraging data,” Hoover said.

Hoover carried that mindset into his next position at North Allegheny School District, where he began applying the data and technology skills he developed in graduate school. He helped create more consistent systems for managing information across the district and learned how strong data practices could improve efficiency.

“I knew enough to know what was possible,” Hoover said. “Then a project would come along, and I’d figure out how to make it happen.”

“You really can move the needle on some things, even if you’re further away from direct impact, by leveraging data.”

Today, as assistant director of data services, Hoover collaborates with departments across the AIU to improve processes, streamline workflows, and develop tools that help programs operate more effectively. He especially enjoys working alongside staff from different programs and learning about the work they do.

“Every program team I work with is this little pocket of amazing culture and incredible expertise,” he said. “They know their work better than anyone. My job is to help build tools that support what they’re already doing so well.”

One project Hoover is especially proud of is the development of a custom student management system for the Non-Public Schools Program. He and the Data Services Team worked closely with program staff to design a solution that streamlined referrals, compliance tracking, and communication while reducing administrative burden and improving visibility into student services.

“We were fortunate to have great collaborators,” Hoover said. “The NPSP leadership team was deeply invested in building a better system and played a critical role in managing the transition. It was an ambitious project that required a lot of teamwork, but we’re already seeing the foundation it created for future programs.” The project reflects his broader philosophy that technology should support people, not complicate their work.

Looking ahead, Hoover sees artificial intelligence creating new opportunities for small teams to accomplish work that once required significant time and resources. “There is so much that we can do now with a small team that we could never have done before,” he said.

While the tools continue to evolve, his goal remains the same. “Helping education entities use their data assets to better serve students and families — that’s the headline goal for my career,” he said.

Outside of work, Hoover is an avid cyclist and triathlete. Whether tackling Pittsburgh’s hills or building data systems, he approaches every challenge with curiosity and purpose. From the classroom to technology services, his work has always focused on creating opportunities for students.