I am honored to serve as the principal at W.B. Beam Intermediate School!  Growing up in a family of educators and spending 34 years in the education profession means that school life is ingrained in me.  The business of education is my work as well as my hobby.  At the end of the 2023-2024 school year, I made the decision to retire, but as my retirement date approached, I realized that I was not ready to stop my work with children, teachers, and the school community.

From Maryland, I started my career as a part-time teacher during the time when there was a surplus of teachers in the field.  From there, I taught in Florida for six years and ultimately ended up in North Carolina, where I continued my role as a teacher.  

As much as I loved being a classroom teacher, I found myself interested in the opportunities and challenges of school administration and sought my Masters in School Administration & Curriculum Development from Winthrop University.

I have served as an administrator for the past 25 years with Gaston County Schools at the following schools: Rhyne Elementary School, Ida Rankin Elementary School, Mount Holly Middle School, Kiser Elementary School, Page Primary School, and New Hope Elementary School.  I have served as a principal for 19 years.  

My leadership philosophy emphasizes distributive leadership where the various groups that make up a school body and community all share the role in educating students.  Through these strong relationships, we will see student achievement and growth move in an upward trend.

I live in North Belmont with my husband, David, who works in the commercial construction field.  We have 2 grown daughters that are also in the education field.  Erinn lives in Texas and works as a professor at Texas A & M in the Special Education department.  Sarah lives in Greensboro and is a Third Grade Teacher with Alamance-Burlington Schools.  Our family also includes our dog Faelyn and cat Maisee.  

When not at school, I can be seen working on home improvements in our 1930s home, doing school work, kayaking, hiking, shopping (I’m an Amazon junkie!), traveling, reading, and just spending time with family.

I am looking forward to serving the students, teachers, parents, and the community of W.B. Beam Intermediate School.  It takes the efforts of home, school, and community to help our children succeed!