Gaston’s Superintendent of Schools earns regional recognition again
Dr. W. Jeffrey Booker, Superintendent of Gaston County Schools, has earned the prestigious Southwest Region Superintendent of the Year recognition for 2022-2023.
Superintendents in the Southwest Region, which includes 11 public school districts in nine counties across the greater Charlotte area, selected Booker for the honor, which is presented by the Southwest Education Alliance. This is Booker’s second time as the Southwest Region Superintendent of the Year. He also won the honor six years ago in 2016-2017.
Booker will compete against seven other regional winners for the A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year title. The state winner is traditionally named in November during a ceremony sponsored by the N.C. School Superintendents Association, N.C. Association of School Administrators, and the N.C. School Boards Association. The current State Superintendent of the Year is Dr. Valerie Bridges of Edgecombe County Public Schools.
During the Gaston County Board of Education meeting on May 23, Board chairman Jeffrey K. Ramsey announced Booker’s selection as the Regional Superintendent of the Year.
“We are delighted and extremely proud to have the Regional Superintendent of the Year leading Gaston County Schools,” said Ramsey. “Dr. Booker has been selected by his fellow superintendents for this honor twice during his time as our superintendent, which is very impressive.”
Ramsey added, “Since becoming our Superintendent of Schools in January 2014, Dr. Booker has demonstrated excellent leadership and exemplary vision for Gaston County Schools. We are very fortunate to have him as our superintendent, and winning the recognition for a second time reminds all of us of his many accomplishments, his knowledge and expertise in education, and his steadfast dedication to supporting our schools, our employees, and our children and families.”
During Booker’s eight-year tenure as Superintendent of Schools, Gaston County Schools has focused attention on improving student achievement; providing more technology for students and teachers; supporting employees through professional development opportunities like the Superintendent’s Leadership Academy; expanding school choice options as well as Career and Technical Education programs; enhancing school safety and partnerships with local law enforcement; increasing communication, partnerships, and outreach with parents and the community; and managing various school construction and renovation projects as a result of the 2018 school bonds. Further, Booker has provided excellent leadership for the district during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is not uncommon for Gaston County to have its Superintendent of Schools to be recognized at the regional and state levels for outstanding leadership. Booker’s predecessors, L. Reeves McGlohon and the late Edward D. Sadler, Jr., both received the regional superintendent recognition, and Sadler was chosen as the 2003 N.C. Superintendent of the Year.
McGlohon, who retired in December 2013 from Gaston County Schools and now serves as executive director of the Southwest Education Alliance, is confident that Booker will be a formidable contender for the State Superintendent of the Year award.
“We are extremely pleased to have Dr. Booker as our Southwest Region Superintendent of the Year for 2022-2023,” said McGlohon. “He is a visionary leader in public education who wants the very best for the students, families, and employees of Gaston County Schools. Dr. Booker’s tenure as superintendent has been filled with many significant accomplishments, and the Regional Superintendent of the Year recognition is both earned and deserved. Without question, he is the epitome of what a school superintendent should be.”
