I am the proud principal of Lacy Elementary since February 2020.  I grew up in Peekskill, New York which is only 45 miles north of New York City.  I have 3 sisters, all younger than me, but the four of us are only 5 years a part.  My mother still lives in that area in a historic town on the Hudson River called Cornwall-on-Hudson (a wonderful place to visit for hiking and kayaking).  I lost my father in 2013, who had been such a role model to me as he was my elementary principal in my neighborhood school.  I am married to Eric, a NC State Microbiology Professor, and have two grown wonderful children, Ethan (30) and Lindsey (28), both graduates of Wake County Public School System. 

I earned my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education from Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA.  I received my Masters of Arts in Special Education from University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, NC and then a Masters of School Administration from East Carolina State University, completing my internship at Yates Mill Elementary School.  I also have my Reading Specialists Certification.  I started my teaching career in a 3^rd grade classroom and then taught for many years in various elementary and middle school settings supporting special education students. 

I have worked in Wake County Public School System since 1987 starting here as a special education teacher at Martin Middle School.  After years of co-teaching in classrooms where special education and general education students were served together, I began to lead this effort for the district in training and supporting teachers.  My focus for the last 20 years had been on literacy as I served as the Senior Administrator for Special Education Literacy and then most recently, 9 years as Director of K-12 Literacy, working to ensure that all students receive appropriate literacy instruction.  I served as one of the leaders of WAKE Up and Read Community Collaborative and have been involved since its inception in 2012. 

When asked by a colleague, “Is there anything you regret not doing in your career that you have not yet done?” I responded by saying “Yes, I always wanted to be an elementary school principal.”  This really started me updating my resume, going through the screening process, and applying for Lacy Elementary – the only school where I wanted to be a principal.  I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as principal in my own community, my dream job! I am beyond excited to be part of this incredible Lacy Lion family where we are working collaboratively and as one community, to support our students, families, and teachers.