The largest annual gathering of North Carolina school board members took place last week, where voting delegates of the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) elected new officers and seven new members to the governing board of directors during the NCSBA Annual Conference.
Carlos Riddick, Washington County Schools, was elected as the association’s president; Jeff Tatham, Cherokee County Schools, was elected as president-elect; Rick Singletary, Scotland County Schools, was elected as vice president; and Kimberly McMichael, Rockingham County Schools, was elected as treasurer. Officers will serve a one-year term.
Members sworn in for their second two-year term on the NCSBA board of directors include Lenora Shipp, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and T. Dianne Bellamy Small, Guilford County Schools.
Members sworn in for their first two-year term on the board of directors are Paul Baker, McDowell County Schools; Sandy Ellington-Graves, Alamance-Burlington School System; Glenda Gibson, Stanly County Schools; Marie Helms, Davie County Schools; Renee Purvis, Martin County Schools; James Tripp, Pitt County Schools; and David Twiddy, Dare County Schools.
The board of directors is responsible for the annual delegate assembly and has general charge and control of the affairs of the association. Attendees also heard from a slate of distinguished keynote speakers who delivered messages on big-picture innovation and practical strategies to support public schools. Keynote speakers included Dr. Bill Daggett, a founder of education leadership centers and strategies, Dr. John Hodge, an accomplished researcher and education executive, and a recorded message from Heather Smith, the 2024 Burroughs Wellcome North Carolina Teacher of the Year.
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The North Carolina School Boards Association is the professional organization that represents local boards of education in the state. Founded in 1937, it is a member-driven association that supports the school governance team— school board members, superintendents, senior administrative staff, and board assistants— in its complex leadership role.
