One WCPS school will have a new principal later this month and five others will have new principals in the new year. Last week, the Wayne County Board of Education approved the following principal changes during its regularly scheduled monthly meeting:
Mount Olive Middle assistant principal, Thomas Young, Jr., will be the new principal of Brogden Middle. Mr. Young is replacing Dr. Damesha Smith, who is leaving for a position with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Mr. Young began his career in education in 2005 as a technology/instruction assistant with Guilford County Schools. In 2007, he transitioned to the head of the class as a technology education teacher. In 2018, he transitioned to school administration as the assistant principal at Mount Olive Middle. Mr. Young holds a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering technology and a master’s degree in education leadership.
Charles B. Aycock High assistant principal, Andrew Mitchell, will be the new principal of Grantham Middle. Mr. Mitchell is replacing Makita Jenkins, who is retiring at the end of December. Mr. Mitchell began his education career with WCPS in 2005 as a social studies teacher at Southern Wayne High. In 2013, he transitioned to school administration as an assistant principal at Charles B. Aycock High. Mr. Mitchell holds an associate’s degree in education, a bachelor’s degree in social studies education, and a master’s degree in executive leadership.
Southern Wayne High assistant principal, Michael Jones, will be the new principal at Greenwood Middle. Mr. Jones is replacing Connie Harrell, who is retiring at the end of December. Mr. Jones began his education career with WCPS in 2004 as a social studies teacher at Spring Creek High. In 2016, he transitioned to school administration as the assistant principal at Greene Central High. In 2019, Mr. Jones returned to WCPS as an assistant principal at Southern Wayne High. Mr. Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in history/political science, a master’s degree in teaching – secondary social studies concentration, and a master’s degree in school administration.
Rosewood Middle assistant principal, Nicole Carter, will be the new principal at Northeast Elementary. Mrs. Carter is replacing Julie West, who is retiring at the end of December. Mrs. Carter began her education career with WCPS in 1997 as a teacher at Rosewood Elementary. In 2007 she transitioned to the district’s Central Services as a Human Resources lead teacher/teaching & learning coach. In 2009, she transitioned to a curriculum facilitator and lead instructional coach position at Meadow Lane Elementary. In 2016, she was named the assistant principal of Northeast Elementary, where she served for the next 5 years. In August of 2021, she transitioned to Rosewood Middle as the assistant principal. Mrs. Carter holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in school administration.
Eastern Wayne Middle principal, Dr. Tammy Keel, will be the new principal at Spring Creek Middle. Dr. Keel is replacing Cheryll Price, who is retiring at the end of December. Dr. Keel began her career in education with WCPS in 1999 as a business/vocational teacher at Mount Olive Middle. In 2004, she transitioned to school administration as the assistant principal at Grantham School and later Brogden Middle. In 2010, she was named the principal of Mount Olive Middle, where she spent the next seven years. In 2017, she was named a School Improvement Grant specialist at Carver Heights Elementary. The following year she was named a lead instructional coach for the district. In 2019, she was named the principal of Eastern Wayne Middle. Dr. Keel holds an associate’s degree in business administration, a bachelor’s degree in management & organizational development, a master’s degree in school administration, and a doctorate’s degree in leadership in educational administration.
Riverwood Middle School assistant principal, Eric Waters, will be the new principal of Eastern Wayne Middle. Mr. Waters is replacing Dr. Keel as principal. Mr. Waters began his career in education in 1997 as a physical education teacher with Lenoir County Schools. In 2002, she transitioned to an exceptional children’s teacher. In 2010, Mr. Waters joined WCPS as a physical education teacher at Goldsboro High. In 2015, he transitioned to school administration as an assistant principal with North Johnston High and later Riverwood Middle. Mr. Waters holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiotherapy, a K-12 physical education teaching certificate, a master’s degree in sports management, an emotional disability special education certificate, and a master’s degree in school administration.
Trenton Elementary principal, Holly Ball, will be the new principal of Rosewood Elementary. Ms. Ball is replacing Charles Smith, who is retiring at the end of December. Ms. Ball began her education career in 2004 as a middle school teacher at E.B. Frink Middle in Lenoir County. In 2009, she transitioned to high school as a math teacher at North Lenoir High. In 2012, Ms. Ball transitioned to the Lenoir County Schools Central Office as a secondary curriculum coordinator. She transitioned to school administration in 2016 as the assistant principal at E.B. Frink Middle. In 2018 she was named principal of Trenton Elementary in Jones County. Ms. Ball holds an associate’s degree in education, a bachelor’s degree in middle school education, and a master’s degree in school administration.
“I would like to extend a very special thank you to those principals who are leaving to start a new chapter in their lives for all that they have done in their careers with WCPS and for all that they have done to keep education happening throughout COVID,” states Dr. David Lewis, WCPS superintendent. “We look forward to welcoming these new and veteran principals to their new roles. They have all demonstrated they are effective leaders. Our district’s leadership team will support them during this transition.”
The Brogden principal change will take effect November 11. All of the other principal changes will take effect January 1, 2021.
