NC STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER PROFILES
The North Carolina State Board of Education (SBE) is responsible for "supervising and administering the free public school system and the educational funds provided for its support." Board members include the Lieutenant Governor, the State Treasurer and 11 other members appointed by the Governor. Eight members represent each of the state's education districts, and three are at-large appointees. Those appointed serve eight-year terms. The policies developed by the North Carolina State Board of Education set the direction for all aspects of Department of Public Instruction and local public school organization and operations.
Chairman:
William C. Harrison, Ed. D.
Lieutenant Governor:
Walter Dalton
State Treasurer:
Janet Cowell
Secretary to Board:
State Superintendent June St. Clair Atkinson
Members
Jean W. Woolard
1st Education District
Reginald Kenan
2nd Education District
Kevin Howell
3rd Education District
Shirley E. Harris
4th Education District
Chris Greene
5th Education District
John A. Tate, III
6th Education District
Robert Thomas Speed
7th Education District
Wayne McDevitt, Vice Chairman
8th Education District
Patricia N. Willoughby
Member-at-Large
Melissa E. Bartlett
Member-at-Large
Teacher Advisors:
2011-2012 Teacher of the Year
Tyronna Hooker
2010-2011 AT&T Teacher of the Year
Jennifer Facciolini
Principal Advisor:
2011 Wells Fargo Principal of the Year
Rob Jackson
Superintendent Advisor:
Don L. Martin
Local Board Member Advisor:
NCSBA 2011-12 Raleigh Dingman Award
Mr. Earlie Coe
Senior Student Advisor:
Montrey DeLoatch
Junior Student Advisor:
Amberly Jo Phillips
Member Profiles
Chairman, State Board of Education
301 N. Wilmington St.,
6302 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-6302
919.807.3441
Dr. Harrison was appointed to the State Board of Education by Governor Beverly Perdue in March 2009. A native of Pennsylvania, Dr. Harrison has served North Carolina public schools throughout his career. In addition to more than 11 years as Superintendent in Cumberland County, he also has served as Superintendent in Orange County and in Hoke County. He has also served as an Assistant Superintendent in Brunswick County Schools and as a principal and teacher. Dr. Harrison is an adjunct assistant professor at North Carolina State University. His experience includes serving on numerous state commissions, most recently as Co-Chair of the Education Lottery Oversight Committee and as Vice-Chair of the Military Child Education Coalition. Dr. Harrison holds a bachelor's degree in Intermediate Education from Methodist College - Fayetteville, a master's degree in Educational Administration and an Education Specialist degree in Education Administration from East Carolina University, and an Educational doctorate in Education Administration from Vanderbilt University.
310 N. Blount Street
Raleigh, NC 27699-0401
919.733.7358
Contact: Barbara O'Sullivan
Cynthia O'Neal
Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, elected to the office in 2008, is an ex officio member of the board. A successful lawyer and legislator, Lt. Governor Dalton served six terms in the North Carolina Senate where he authored and created key education measures such as the Innovative Education Act and the Learn and Earn Program. In addition to his work in education, he led efforts to provide tax credits to small businesses that offer employees health insurance, and a program that enables North Carolina senior citizens to pay for their prescription drugs. He also won support for preserving and increasing a number of state parks and adding Chimney Rock to the state park system. He is an active member of the Rural Economic Development Center and the North Carolina Economic Development and Tourism Boards.
Lt. Governor Dalton is a lay speaker in the Methodist church, a former Cub Scout leader, and has served as board chair of a local community college. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with degrees in Business Administration and Law.
Albemarle Building
325 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-1385
919.508.5158
Contact: Stephanie Scott
Elected in 2008, Janet Cowell is the state's 27th popularly-elected Treasurer and is the first woman to win the post. As the state's fiscal advisor, she oversees more than $80 billion in state investments. She serves on the State Board of Education as an ex officio member. Cowell brings a wealth of experience to her role as State Treasurer - investment professional, former state senator and member of the Raleigh City council. She is the chair of the Local Government Commission, helping cities, towns and counties by monitoring their financial condition; providing technical assistance on auditing and financial reporting; and monitoring the sale and repayment of debt. Cowell is at the forefront of economic development in North Carolina, serving as chair of the State Banking Commission and on the board of the North Carolina Community College System. She earned a Master's degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business and a Master's degree in International Studies from the Lauder Institute. She worked as a financial analyst with HSBC Bank and Lehman Brothers before making her home in North Carolina.
State Superintendent and Secretary to the State Board of Education
6301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-6301
919.807.3432
(Fax) 919.807.3445
June St. Clair Atkinson was elected as the North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction in November 2004 and re-elected in 2008. Dr. Atkinson is North Carolina's first woman elected to this position. She heads the NC Department of Public Instruction, an agency which she served for nearly 28 years as a chief consultant and director in the areas of business education, career and technical education, and instructional services. As a former business education teacher, Atkinson has been involved in instruction and curriculum development throughout her career. She is past president of the National Business Education Association, Southern Regional Education Board's High Schools that Work, and the National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium. Atkinson is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma and Phi Delta Kappa and was inducted into East Carolina University's College of Education Educator Hall of Fame in 2008. She received a Bachelor's degree in Business Education from Radford University in 1969, a Master's degree in Vocational and Technical Education from Virginia Tech in 1974, and a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Policy from North Carolina State University in 1996.
6472 NC Highway 32 South
Plymouth, NC 27962
Jean W. Woolard lives in Plymouth, North Carolina, in Education District 1 in northeastern North Carolina. She was appointed by Governor Bev Perdue in August 2010 to fill an unexpired term for the District 1 seat. Ms. Woolard is a former teacher at Plymouth High School. She holds both a bachelor's degree in business education with a minor in history and a master's degree in education with a concentration in business from East Carolina University. Ms. Woolard has been an active member both of the North Carolina Association of Educators and the National Education Association. She also recently served on the North Carolina Auctioneer Licensing Board. Her term on the State Board of Education expires on March 31, 2011.
PO Box 472 Warsaw, NC 28398
910.293.7801
Reginald Kenan was appointed to the State Board of Education by Governor Beverly Perdue in 2009 to fill the District 2 seat for southeastern North Carolina. Mr. Kenan lives in Rose Hill, North Carolina, and practices law in his native Duplin County. He has served as a member of the Duplin County School Board since 1989. He received his bachelor's degree in economics from Guilford College and his juris doctorate from Campbell University's Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. He is active in church and civic activities in Duplin County, where he has lived all of his life. His term expires March 31, 2017.
NC State University External Affairs
Campus Box 7001
Raleigh, NC 27695
919.515.9340
Kevin D. Howell, a Shelby, NC, native, is the Assistant to the Chancellor for External Affairs at North Carolina State University (NCSU). In this role, he serves as the principal university liaison to elected officials at city, county and state levels and, in conjunction with the chancellor, develops and promotes NCSU's legislative agenda. Howell was previously the legislative liaison in the offices of governors Michael F. Easley and James B. Hunt where he was responsible for lobbying members of the General Assembly. In addition, he has served as Director of Governmental Affairs for the North Carolina Bar Association and as a judicial clerk on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Howell is a graduate of NC State where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. He later earned a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
229 Fox Den Road
Troy, NC 27371
1.800.801.7983
Shirley E. Harris was appointed to the Board by Governor Mike Easley in May, 2005. She received her Bachelor's degree in Education from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, and her Master's degree in Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Harris holds North Carolina teaching certifications in Language Arts, Social Studies and Mathematics, as well as National Board Certification in Early Adolescent English/Language Arts. She also holds certification in Adolescent Literacy, Mentoring, Systemic Change, and NBCT Facilitation. She has taught in North Carolina public elementary, middle and high schools for over thirty years, and served as a high school Comprehensive School Reform facilitator while remaining in the classroom. Harris' teaching awards include Montgomery County Teacher of the Year, NC Regional Teacher of the Year finalist and NCCTM Regional Outstanding Elementary Mathematics Teacher. Her commission expires March 31, 2013.
811 Country Club Drive
High Point, NC 27262
336.882.3800
Christine Joyner Greene has served public education in North Carolina in various capacities including: classroom teacher, counselor, director of an early college academy and adjunct professor at NC A&T State University. She is currently the Chairman of the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and President of the American Association of State Counseling Boards. Greene received a Bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University and Master’s degree from UNC-Greensboro. She has served on numerous civic boards including boards for the Salvation Army, United Way, Family Service Foundation, the High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau, Guilford Alcohol and Drug Services, the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival and High Point United Way Campaign. She serves as a trustee at Mount Olive College and for the Nido Qubein Scholarship Board. Greene was recognized as a Distinguished Practitioner from the Department of Counseling at UNC-Greensboro in 2008 and received the Distinguished Career Award from UNC-Greensboro in 2009. She was selected High Point’s Business Advocate of the Year in 2005 as well as High Point Citizen of the Year in 2000. Her term expires March 31, 2013.
1431 Biltmore Drive
Charlotte, NC 28207-2556
704.374.6451
Governor Easley appointed John Tate, a Charlotte native and businessman, to the SBE in February 2003 to fill an unexpired term and was reappointed in May 2003. John's education includes a bachelor's degree in History from UNC-Chapel Hill and a master's degree in Business Administration/Finance from Georgia State University. John has made the banking industry his career field for the past 30 years, and his current assignment at Wachovia a Wells Fargo company includes working with commercial clients. Community service has included serving on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education from 1990-1997, as well as involvement with Communities in Schools, Habitat for Humanity, Nascar Hall of Fame and UNC-CH School of Social Work Board of Advisors. His current term on the SBE expires March 31, 2015.
P.O. Box 432
Boone, NC 28607-0432
828.264.1191
Robert Thomas Speed, an attorney from Boone, North Carolina, was appointed to the State Board of Education by Governor Michael F. Easley on May 15, 2003. Speed received his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and his Master's degree in Economics and Business from Appalachian State University. He went on to Campbell University's School of Law where he completed his Law degree. Formerly from Franklin County, North Carolina, and from a family involved in tobacco farming and cattle, he has extensive experience and knowledge in the technical and business aspects of agriculture. Speed is actively involved in ASU's athletic boosters club and is a member the Winston-Salem Scottish Rite Bodies. His term expires in March 31, 2011.
Eighth Education District
North Carolina State Board of Education
PO Box 63
81 Morlin Acres
Marshall, North Carolina 28753
828.649.2144
Wayne McDevitt has served on the North Carolina State Board of Education since 2001, including serving as the Board's Vice Chairman since June 2007. As Vice Chair, he serves on the Executive Committee and as an ex-officio member of the Board's standing committees. Additionally, he has chaired numerous Board special committees, blue ribbon commissions, and task forces. His long-term advocacy for children and education includes, among others, past service on the boards of NC Partnership for Children/Smart Start, NC Parent Teacher Association, Baptist Children's Homes and the boards of trustees of two universities.
McDevitt is currently engaged in several business, entrepreneurial, and consulting ventures that he began following his 2006 retirement from state government. His government experiences included serving as Senior Vice President for University Affairs for the 16-campus consolidated University of North Carolina system and serving as Senior Vice Chancellor at his Alma Mater, the University of North Carolina-Asheville where he graduated with distinction in Political Science in 1975. Before joining UNC-Asheville, he served as Chief of Staff to former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt. He previously served on the Governor's Cabinet as Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. He has received numerous recognitions and awards for policy initiatives, as well as management and leadership successes. Spanning nearly four decades, McDevitt has served on the boards of business, education, economic development, conservation, church, arts, civic, community, nonprofit, foundation, and government organizations. His extensive record in public service led the Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper on December 31, 1999, to recognize him as "one of Western North Carolina's 50 most influential people of the 20th century" stating that "he always uses his positions to improve the quality of life for North Carolinians."
McDevitt currently also serves on the boards of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, Western North Carolina Economic Development Commission (AdvantageWest), North Carolina Center for International Understanding, Vagabond School of Drama (The State Theatre of North Carolina), and several task forces/committees on education, economic development, and health care.
He has been married to Walda since 1972. They have two adult children, Nicholas and Kasey. His term on the State Board of Education expires in 2017.
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0301
919.715.3535
(F) 919.715.3561
Patricia (Tricia) Nickens Willoughby was reappointed for a second term on the State Board of Education by Governor Bev Perdue in May 2009. Ms. Willoughby is a former classroom teacher and a former member of the School of Education faculty at Meredith College. She received her Bachelor's degree in early childhood education from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Master's degree in education from Meredith College. Willoughby served as State Superintendent of the NC Department of Public Instruction during 2004-05. She is currently the Executive Director of the North Carolina Business Committee for Education, a non-profit whose focus is K-12 education. As a Board member, Willoughby chairs the Healthy Responsible Students Committee. Her term on the State Board of Education expires March 31, 2017.
Roxboro Community School
115 Lake Drive
Roxboro, NC 27573
Melissa E. Bartlett was appointed to the Board by Governor Mike Easley in May 2005. She holds North Carolina teaching certifications in K-12 ESL, 6-8 Language Arts, 9-12 English, and National Board Certification in Early Adolescent Language Arts. Bartlett is currently leading classes in 11th grade English and in journalism at Roxboro Community School, a public charter school serving grades 6-12 in Person County. She has served in educational program administration in two North Carolina school systems and at the community college level and has had diverse teaching experiences. In addition to her current charter school service, Bartlett's classroom work includes teaching English at an innovative Learn and Earn high school and at a traditional high school, language arts in several North Carolina middle schools, Title I reading in the U.S. Virgin Islands, English "O" Levels in Kenya and EFL at the English Language Institute at the American University in Cairo. Bartlett was chosen as North Carolina's 2002-03 Teacher of the Year (and became a finalist for 2003 National Teacher of the Year). She received her Bachelor's degree in English from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, her Master's degree in teaching English as a foreign language from the American University in Cairo, Egypt, and she is currently pursuing a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction at North Carolina State University. Her State Board of Education term expires March 31, 2013.
Teacher Advisors
Tyronna Hooker
NC Teacher of the Year
Graham Middle School Alamance-Burlington Schools
311 E. Pine St.
Graham, NC 27253
336.570.6060
Term: July 2011 – June 2013
Jennifer Facciolini
2010-11 AT&T Teacher of the Year
Midway High School, Spivey's Corner Hwy
Newton Grove, NC 28366
910.567.6664
Term: July 2010 – June 2012
Principal Advisor
Rob Jackson
2011 Wells Fargo Principal of the Year
Cuthbertson High School
1400 Cutherbertson Road
Waxhaw, NC 28173
704.296.0105
Term: July 2011 – June 2012
Superintendent Advisor
Don L. Martin
Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools Superintendent
475 Corporate Square Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27105
336.727.2816
Term: July 2011 – June 2012
Local Board Member Advisor
Mr. Earlie Coe
NCSBA 2011-12 Raleigh Dingman Award
Surry County Schools
PO Box 364
Dobson, NC 27017-0364
336.386.8211
Term: 2011-12
Senior Student Advisor
Montrey DeLoatch
Orange High School
500 Orange High Road
Hillsborough, NC 27278
Term: September 2010 – May 2011
Junior Student Advisors
Amberly Jo Phillips
North Johnston High School
5915 US Hwy. 301 N.
Kenly, NC 27542
Term: September 2011 – May 2012