2025-2027 Cohort
Tracey Avery
Tracy Avery is the principal of Wiley Elementary, an International Studies magnet school, and a dedicated educator in his 19th year of service. His career spans diverse educational environments, including rural, urban, magnet, charter, and Title I schools, with all of his leadership and teaching experience rooted in the elementary setting.
Mr. Avery holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education and school administration from North Carolina Central University, where he was recognized as a Ron Edmunds Scholar, as well as a master’s degree in the Learning Sciences from Northwestern University. A 2018 finalist for Wake County Assistant Principal of the Year, he has consistently championed environments where teachers feel supported, valued, and empowered to excel.
His professional and research interests center on leadership development, organizational change, and the adult learning of principals in their first years and aspiring school leaders. He is committed to exploring initiatives that strengthen educational leadership and create inclusive, high-performing schools that advance opportunity for all students.Tracy can be reached at tavery@ncsu.edu.
Cornelius Battle Jr.
Cornelius E. Battle Jr. is the assistant principal at Eastern Elementary School in Greenville, NC since July of 2025. He graduated from Winston-Salem State University with a degree in English. He then obtained a degree in Middle Grades Education from NC Central University. He began his teaching career at Farmville Middle School in Pitt County in 2014 where he was an English Language Arts Teacher and an AVID Teacher. He was selected for the Pitt County Schools Teacher Leadership Institute, a two-year program that develops teacher leaders to lead in their buildings beyond the classroom. He then became an AP at JH Rose High School from 2022-2025. He was a Principal Fellow at East Carolina University and graduated in 2024. He began his doctoral degree at NC State in May of 2025. His research interests focus on how recruitment and retention of Black male teachers in K-5 classrooms impact the academic achievement, self-efficacy, and engagement of Black male students. He wants to create systems that are equitable and beneficial for all students and teachers alike.Cornelius can be reached at cbattle2@ncsu.edu.
Sara Bounds
Sara Bounds graduated from East Carolina University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and earned a Master of School Administration from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2023. She served as an elementary teacher for 19 years before transitioning into school leadership, where she is currently in her second year as an assistant principal. Throughout her career, Ms. Bounds has worked exclusively in Title I schools, where she has developed a strong commitment to equity and student success. She has been honored as Teacher of the Year at two different schools, a recognition of her dedication to instructional excellence and student growth. Living and working in a rural community has shaped her professional perspective, and she is especially interested in research that supports and advances education in rural eastern NC.Sara can be reached at: sebounds@ncsu.edu.
Pachette Dunn
Pachette Dunn is originally from Manteo, NC. She has a Bachelor of Science degreein Elementary Education and a Master of School Administration from NC State University. At the start of her career, Pachette taught second and third grade at Eastway Elementary. In 2016, she was selected to be a part of the Durham Principal Leadership Academy through NELA. After graduating with a Master of School Administration, Pachette served as an assistant principal at C.C. Spaulding Elementary and Hope Valley Elementary. Currently, she is the principal of Long Mill Elementary and is pursuing a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from NC State University. Her research interests include policies and funding for private and public charter schools in NC, the effectiveness of beginning teacher preparation programs, and the correlation between the school allocation of Title 1 funding and school performance. Pachette can be reached atpmseller@ncsu.edu.
Yvonne Eason
Yvonne Eason is an experienced educational leader with 20 years of service in NC public schools. She currently serves as Principal of Sedalia Elementary School in Guilford County Schools, where she has led measurable gains in student achievement and school culture, including increasing the overall school composite score, raising third-grade reading proficiency, and reducing chronic absenteeism.
Her prior leadership roles include Assistant Principal at Ragsdale High School and Grimsley High School, where she improved English EOC proficiency, boosted graduation rates, and decreased disciplinary referrals. As Talent Management Supervisor in New Hanover County Schools, she filled 99% of certified positions by the first day of school and increased teacher diversity. Earlier, as Coordinator of Character Development and Service-Learning, she expanded student participation from 440 to over 1,600, increased service-learning hours to more than 1.7 million, and secured significant funding to support state and national programs.
She is a three-time graduate of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, earning a Master of School Administration (2020), a Master of Arts in Reading Education (2011), and a Bachelor of Science in Business Education (2004). She was a member of the NC Parent Advisory Commission and current active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.Yvonne can be reached at yeason@ncsu.edu.
Taylor Evans
Taylor Evans proudly serves as the Executive Director of Educational Programs at C.H.I.L.D Inc. Academic in Fayetteville, NC. Taylor continues to be committed to equity, collaboration, and preparing students for long-term success.
Taylor earned a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Winston-Salem State University and a Master of School Administration from NC State University, where she was selected as a Principal Fellow in the Northeast Leadership Academy. She began her career as a Special Education Teacher, serving in various capacities, including Occupational Course of Study, Curriculum Assistance, and Behavior Support, in addition to serving as a Department Chair.
Taylor later transitioned to serve as Assistant Principal at Walnut Creek Elementary in Wake County, where she led the special education department to 100% IEP compliance for the first time in school history and launched an Academic Recovery Center that accelerated student academic and social-emotional achievement and growth. Her leadership has been recognized district-wide and state-wide, including her selection for the NCPAPA Future Ready Leaders cohort as well as her feature on Spectrum News and in The News & Observer newspaper.
With a passion for advocating for students with disabilities, Taylor is particularly interested in how districts can strengthen administrator preparation to ensure informed, research-based decisions throughout the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process. Her work demonstrates how systems-level leadership can translate policy into measurable student growth. She continues to explore practices that bridge special education policy, administrative decision-making, and equitable student outcomes. Taylor can be reached at tnevans4@ncsu.edu.
Jesse Gore
Jesse Gore is the proud principal of Centennial Campus Center for Innovation Magnet Middle School (CCMMS) in Raleigh. For nearly 15 years, Jesse has served the Wake County Public School System.
After graduating from NC State with a Middle School Education degree, Jesse began his career in 2011 as a teacher at Dillard Drive Middle School, where he taught language arts and social studies. In 2016, Jesse’s dedication was recognized when he was named the school’s Teacher of the Year and was selected as a finalist for Wake County Teacher of the Year.
Driven by a desire to grow as a leader and expand his impact, Jesse pursued administrative licensure through NC State University’s Northeast Leadership Academy (NELA). Jesse proudly served as an assistant principal at Lufkin Road Middle School and then at Walnut Creek Elementary School as an AP and then principal. In September 2024, Jesse was named principal of CCMMS. Under his leadership, CCMMS continues to develop future-ready learners by emphasizing design thinking, real-world applications, and creative problem-solving. Working alongside university partners and a dedicated staff, Jesse is advancing a vision where students are not just prepared for high school—they’re equipped to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.
As a principal at a Title I-funded school, Jesse is interested in how schools can proactively support ongoing proficiency improvements with transient populations. Jesse wants to research the importance of impactful leaders on high needs populations. Jesse can be reached at jhgore@ncsu.edu.
Marsha Harvey-Howard
Marsha Harvey-Howard earned a Diploma in Education from Mico University College and then a Bachelor’s degree in Education from The Consortium of Colleges for Teacher Education (Jamaica). She has a Master of Arts in Literature from Gardner Webb University and a Master of School Administration from NC State University (NELA 2023). Marsha completed her principal residency at Bunn High School and subsequently worked at Wake Forest Charter Academy (k-8) as assistant principal for grades 5-8 from 2023- 2025. She is currently a literacy coach at Neuse River Middle School in Wake County. As a teacher, Marsha was the recipient of several awards including the The Governor’s Educator Discovery Award in the state of NC (2020). Marsha was also a recipient of the LEAP grant, which is awarded to teachers who wish to transform their classrooms into modern spaces. She is also a fellow of Duke/UNC Chapel Hill Universities’ MEAC year-long fellowship. Marsha can be reached at mharvey@ncsu.edu.
Hannah Lane
Hannah Lane is an accomplished educator and school leader with a strong commitment to student success and inclusive learning environments. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Campbell University in 2015 and began her career in education the same year, when she was named Beginning Teacher of the Year.
In 2020, she completed her Master of School Administration at Campbell University with distinction, further strengthening her expertise in educational leadership. In 2022, Hannah was honored with the Leading with the Heart award, recognizing her dedication to fostering supportive, student-centered learning communities.With over a decade of experience in the classroom and in leadership roles, Hannah brings a proven record of instructional excellence, teacher mentorship, and a passion for equity in education. She is now pursuing her doctoral studies at NC State University to expand her impact on educational leadership and policy, with a focus on preparing schools to meet the diverse needs of all learners. Hannah can be reached at hlane2@ncsu.edu.
Brandan Lucas
Brandan Lucas currently serves as Principal of S.C. Baskerville Elementary School in Rocky Mount, NC, part of the Edgecombe County Public Schools system. Entering his fifth year in school administration, Mr. Lucas previously served three years as an Assistant Principal with Nash County Public Schools before assuming the principalship, now in his second year for the 2025–26 school year. Throughout his educational career, Mr. Lucas has held a variety of roles, including Exceptional Children (EC) teacher in both separate and general education settings, EC Department Chair, School Improvement Team member, and Curriculum Design Team member.
In recognition of his leadership, Mr. Lucas was named the 2023–2024 Assistant Principal of the Year for Nash County Public Schools. He has also been honored with the Exceptional Educator
Award for his dedication to serving students with exceptional needs. Mr. Lucas is a proud graduate of Southwestern College, Shaw University Divinity School, and NC State University, where he earned his Master of School Administration degree as a member of the 2020 Northeast Leadership Academy (NELA) cohort.
Brandan’s research interests include faith-informed ethical decision-making in public education, the development of transformative community–school partnerships, and policy advocacy aimed at advancing equity for marginalized students.Brandan can be reached at belucas3@ncsu.edu.
Jenny O’Meara
Jenny O’Meara is most passionate about advancing bold, intentional school design and leadership in ways that create extraordinary and equitable opportunities for all students. As a Design Partner with Transcend, she partners with rural school districts to expand Career-Connected Learning and co-create innovative, community-rooted models that prepare young people with the skills, knowledge, and agency to thrive in futures of their own choosing.
Earlier in her career, Jenny served as principal of a restart school in Edgecombe County, where she worked with her community to leverage advanced teaching roles and state flexibilities to expand teacher leadership and reimagine learning. This work produced a school model with aligned graduate aims, design anchors, and signature experiences such as advisory “Banner” time, houses, and interdisciplinary projects connecting local and global contexts. She began her career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Burkina Faso, teaching middle grades math and English, and later taught high school math in Warren County, NC, where she started as a Teach For America corps member and continued beyond her initial commitment.
O’Meara has contributed to the field through service on the boards of the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership and Profound Ladies and as co-host of The Hummingbird Stories podcast. She holds a Master of School Administration from NC State University’s Northeast Leadership Academy (NELA), a BA in French and International Relations from SUNY Geneseo, and is pursuing her Ed.D. at NC State with research focused on leadership, school design, and community-based innovation.Jenny can be reached at jlomeara@ncsu.edu.
Ticia Scott
Ticia Scott is a passionate and committed educational leader currently serving as Assistant Principal at Hillside High School in Durham, NC. She brings a strong background in instructional leadership, student advocacy, and school improvement.
Ms. Scott earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and holds a Master’s in STEM Education from NC State University. In 2023, she completed her Master of School Administration at NC State and is now pursuing a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at NC State. Her current research focuses on assistant principal compensation in NC.
Throughout her career, Ms. Scott has demonstrated a deep commitment to leadership and educational equity. She has served as PLC Lead, Graduation Co-Coordinator, Chick-fil-A Leader Academy Facilitator, and Senior Class Advisor. She is a graduate of the Durham Public Schools (DPS) Foundation’s Teacher Leadership Academy and has supported beginning teachers through the Duke University TeachHouse program and DPS.
Ms. Scott continues to focus on building inclusive school communities, supporting teacher development, and improving outcomes for all students.Ticia can be reached at trscott4@gmail.com.
Karley Wells
Karley Wells is an accomplished school leader and educator with experience across multiple levels of K–12 education in Haywood County, NC. A product of Haywood County Schools herself, she has served the district as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal, and district leader. She began her career as a fifth-grade teacher at Clyde Elementary, later serving as assistant principal at Pisgah High School, and then as principal of Riverbend Elementary, a school recognized for its consistent success. Most recently, she returned to Clyde Elementary as principal before assuming her current district role as Elementary Supervisor, where she supports the curriculum and instruction of Haywood County’s eight elementary schools.
Wells was named the 2025 Wells Fargo Western Region Principal of the Year, highlighting her commitment to building teacher efficacy and ensuring high levels of student engagement and success. Her professional interests include early childhood education, instructional coaching, leadership development, and advocacy for rural education. She brings creativity, energy, and a focus on human-centered leadership to her work with students, educators, and families.Karley can be reached at kmwells4@ncsu.edu.