Please list your occupation.
President & CEO, Charlotte Works.
Please list your connections to or involvement with CMS (children in the district, PTO experience, etc.).
• Volunteer for 15+ years
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) Advisory Board Member
• Community Partner for 15+ years
Please list your political experience and any education or political advocacy groups you’re affiliated with.
While this is my first time running for elected office, I bring extensive experience working across local, state, and federal systems to influence policy and drive results. As a leader, I collaborate with government, education, and community partners to align talent development and education strategies. I serve on several boards and advisory councils focused on education, opportunity, and data-informed policy, including the Leading On Opportunity Council, the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute Regional Data Trust Advisory Board, and the Centralina Regional Council Board. I am also a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council, National Association of Counties, and the North Carolina Association of Workforce Development Boards.
Please list any other relevant professional experience.
I have spent my career helping people build pathways to opportunity. I began my career 16 years ago as a teacher, then served as a counselor to youth and young adults, working directly with students and families in Charlotte-Mecklenburg to support their academic, social, and emotional growth. Those early experiences in the classroom and in counseling shaped my deep understanding of how education, mental health, and access to opportunity intersect to impact student success. Today I serve as President & CEO of Charlotte Works, Mecklenburg County’s workforce development board. In this role, I lead strategy, partnerships, and innovation to connect businesses, education, higher education, and community partners to ensure employers have access to skilled, qualified talent and people have access to meaningful, family-sustaining careers.
Why do you want to serve on the school board?
I want to serve on the school board because I believe every student deserves access to a high-quality public education that prepares them for life after graduation: college, career, or military. Sixteen years ago, I began my career as a teacher, then served as a counselor, and now lead an organization. Each role has strengthened my belief that education is the foundation of opportunity.
Public education is at a crossroads. We face widening achievement gaps, teacher shortages, and a growing need to rebuild trust between schools and communities. Our educators deserve higher pay, our classrooms deserve full funding, and our students deserve safe, supportive environments where they can learn and thrive.
As a proven, results-driven leader, I know how to bring people together, business, education, higher education, and community partners, to ensure every student is prepared not only to graduate but to succeed. I’m running to fight for strong public schools, close achievement gaps, and strengthen the bridge from education to opportunity for every student in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
Name one thing you feel CMS currently does well and one thing you would push the district to improve.
CMS has a strong strategic plan grounded in four pillars of excellence: Academic, People, Operational, and Engagement, and I believe we’re beginning to see the impact of that work. The district has been intentional about improving early literacy and math outcomes, expanding post-graduation readiness pathways, and strengthening teacher recruitment and retention through competitive supplements and professional development. These are the right priorities, and the structure is working. However, we still have a long way to go to ensure every student, regardless of ZIP code, background, or school has equitable access to the opportunities and supports that lead to success. Closing persistent achievement gaps will require consistent focus, transparent communication, and stronger collaboration between educators, families, and the community so that progress is both measurable and shared by all.
One thing I would push the district to improve: I would push CMS to strengthen the culture of trust and communication between the district, educators, and families. Too often, decisions are made for schools rather than with them. By being more transparent, responsive, and inclusive in how we engage teachers, staff, parents, and students, we can rebuild confidence in the system and ensure every voice is heard before policies are implemented.
In your opinion, what is the CMS school board’s most important function?
The role of the school board is to represent the vision and values of the community while operating under a student outcomes focused governance. The most important function of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) Board of Education is to set the vision, policy, and accountability framework that ensures every student has access to a high-quality education. The school board does and should function
At its core, that means:
Setting clear goals and guardrails, defining what student success looks like and establishing measurable outcomes for academic achievement, equity, and school culture.
Hiring, supporting, and evaluating the superintendent, ensuring the district’s leadership is effective, transparent, and aligned with the board’s strategic priorities.
Adopting sound policies and budgets, allocating resources equitably and strategically so that every dollar advances learning, supports teachers, and strengthens safe and inclusive school environments.
Engaging the community, listening to students, families, educators, and partners to make informed, community-centered decisions that reflect local values and needs.
Ultimately, the board’s most important function is to govern with clarity, accountability, and integrity, so that CMS can deliver on its promise of preparing every student for life after graduation.
What do you think should be CMS’ biggest funding priority? Where should that funding come from?
CMS’s biggest funding priority should be ensuring every student receives a high-quality education supported by well-resourced educators and staff. That means prioritizing funding for classroom instruction, academic supports, mental health resources, and competitive compensation that attracts and retains exceptional educators and staff.
The state must play a leading role in providing adequate and equitable funding for public education, as outlined in the state’s constitutional responsibility. At the same time, CMS should take a comprehensive look at its entire budget to ensure every dollar is aligned with the district’s strategic plan and core priorities, improving student outcomes, supporting educators and staff, and strengthening operations.
When our budget reflects our values, we build a district where students thrive and educators are supported to do their very best work.
There has recently been uncertainty around school funding from both the state and federal levels. What actions, if any, should the school board take to navigate this uncertainty?
Uncertainty in school funding requires steady, strategic, and proactive leadership from the school board. When state and federal support fluctuates, the board must focus on protecting the classroom first, ensuring that students, educators, and essential services remain the top priority.
The school board should take a multi-pronged approach:
Advocate boldly at the state and federal levels for predictable, equitable funding that fully supports public education.
Plan responsibly at the local level by reviewing the CMS budget through the lens of the district’s strategic plan, making sure resources directly support academic achievement, educator support, and student well-being.
Strengthen and maintain partnerships with county commissioners, community organizations, and the private sector to leverage additional resources and mitigate funding gaps.
In times of uncertainty, transparency, collaboration, and strategic alignment are key. The board must be clear about priorities, protect what matters most, and keep the focus on ensuring every student has access to a high-quality education.
How can the board support the closing of performance gaps between high- and low-performing students?
Closing performance gaps requires intentional, data-driven leadership and a commitment to ensuring that every student, regardless of ZIP code, has access to a high-quality education.
CMS has made notable and historic progress in recent years, and the data shows we’re moving in the right direction. However, we still have a long way to go to close persistent gaps and address disparities in student outcomes.
District 6 is a clear reflection of this challenge and opportunity. Within the same district, we have some of the highest-performing schools in the state and some of the lowest-performing schools. That reality requires leadership that can prioritize and problem-solve through an equity lens, one that focuses on lifting the floor and the ceiling at the same time.
The board can support this work by:
Ensuring resources and supports are allocated equitably, not equally, providing what each student, school, and educator needs to succeed.
Strengthening early interventions, academic supports, and wraparound services that address barriers to learning.
Empowering educators with professional development, time, and tools to meet students where they are.
Increasing family and community engagement, recognizing that parents and caregivers are essential partners in student success.
By aligning our strategies, budget, and accountability measures with our Goals and Guardrails, the board can sustain the progress made and accelerate the work ahead, ensuring that every student in CMS has the opportunity to thrive.
The share of students enrolled in public schools is shrinking while private schools and charters have grown in recent years. How should CMS react?
It’s no secret that CMS must do a better job of telling its story. While charter and private school enrollment has grown, the reality is that CMS offers some of the most comprehensive programs and pathways to opportunity in the state, closing achievement gaps and preparing students for college, career, and military success.
The data shows that test scores at charter schools are not consistently higher than CMS, yet many families simply don’t know about the exceptional programs and success stories happening every day in our schools. From early college and career academies to language immersion, STEM, early interventions, and arts programs, CMS provides opportunities that very few systems can match.
The district should respond by amplifying communication, outreach, and transparency: meeting families where they are, celebrating the achievements of our students and educators, and ensuring parents understand their school choice options within CMS.
When families see the value, results, and impact of public education in action, confidence grows, and enrollment follows. It’s about restoring trust, strengthening communication, and showcasing excellence already happening across our district!