Henry “Shake” Washington

Henry “Shake” Washington was elected to the Hillsborough County School Board, representing District 5, in 2020 and has been elected as the Board’s Vice-Chair for two consecutive years. He is one of seven members responsible for making policy decisions and overseeing a total budget of $4.3 billion for the 7th largest school district in the nation, which is also the county’s largest employer.

Mr. Washington was born in Tampa and is a product of the Hillsborough County Public Schools. As a student, he began his education at Meacham Elementary School, continued through B.T. Washington Junior High School, and finally graduated from the original Middleton High School.

Mr. Washington attended Kentucky State University on a football scholarship. His college education was interrupted by service in the U.S. Army. However, he later graduated with a degree in education from the University of Southwest Louisiana and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Mr. Washington worked for 42 years in Hillsborough County Public Schools as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and an area superintendent. His community involvement is extensive, including many years of service in the church, the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, the NAACP, American Legion Post 167 and the Legends Club.

Mr. Washington has been married to his wife Cheryl for 43 years. They have two children, both successful products of Hillsborough County Public Schools, and five grandchildren..