Meet the Principal

Tiffany O’Hara, Principal

HILLIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Tiffany O’Hara is the principal of Hillis Elementary School, where she has served since 2023. With an impressive background in education, O’Hara brings over three decades of experience to her role.

O’Hara has deep roots in the district and has remained in Iowa throughout her career. She graduated from East High School, where her interest in elementary education was ignited when she had an opportunity to assist teachers in a second-grade classroom during the school day. She continued to focus on education, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of Iowa, and a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration from Iowa State University.

O’Hara also served as the Director of Talent and Personnel at DMPS, a position she held for nine years. She started her career as an elementary educator in the Saydel Community School District. She went on to serve as elementary principal at St. Patrick’s School in Perry, where she oversaw preschool through 8th grade for three years. O’Hara was also employed as an elementary principal at Holy Family School in Des Moines for eleven years, and at Terrace Elementary in Ankeny for seven years before returning to DMPS.

DMPS Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Tim Schott said O’Hara’s extensive experience and dedication to student achievement at the school and district levels make her an ideal leader in the Des Moines school community.