Dr. Brad Yates became Superintendent of Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District in July of 2019 after serving five years as Assistant Superintendent of Bluffton-Harrison M.S.D. Prior to serving as Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Yates served as Business Manager and Transportation Director for the district from 2011 to 2014. He began his teaching career as a vocational business education teacher at Bluffton High School in 2006. Throughout his teaching career, Dr. Yates coached boys' basketball at various levels from 2004-2010 and girls' basketball in 2010-2011.
Dr. Yates, a 2002 graduate of Bluffton High School, earned his Bachelor's Degree in Business Education from Ball State University in 2006. He earned his Master of Science in Administrative Leadership from Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne in 2009. In 2018, Dr. Yates earned his Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Leadership from Indiana State University.
Throughout his career in school administration, Dr. Yates has served as the Chairman of the School Employees’ Benefit Trust from 2014 through 2018, and he continues to serve as a Trustee and legislative liaison for the Trust. As an active member of professional organizations in the state, Dr. Yates maintains membership with the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, Indiana School Boards Association, Upper Wabash Valley Superintendent Study Council, and the Indiana Association of School Business Officials (IASBO). Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, he has served as the Chairman for the Upper Wabash Valley Superintendent Study Council.
As part of IASBO, Dr. Yates completed the Chief Business Officer certification program in August of 2013. In 2018, he was named the Region 3 IASBO School Business Official of the Year. In addition, he served on the Board of Directors for IASBO as the Region 3 Director from 2018 to 2022. Currently, Dr. Yates serves on the IASBO HR & Management Research Committee.
Locally, Dr. Yates has served on the Board of Directors for Bluffton Regional Medical Center since 2019. In addition for over a decade (2012), Dr. Yates has served on the Board of Directors for the Bluffton-Southern Wells Dollars for Scholars. As a representative of BHMSD, he serves on the Wells County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Beyond the duties as superintendent, Dr. Yates assists future educational leaders through his efforts as an adjunct faculty member teaching school finance at Indiana State University and Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Dr. Yates and his wife, Jessica, live in Bluffton with their four children, Bailey, Addison, Deacon, and Liam.