Our Team
Liz Michael began her work with the Center of Executive Education Leadership (CEEL) in October of 2015 and was named Director and Executive Coach in January of 2017. She earned a BA in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina in 1986 and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She also holds an MSW with a concentration in social services management from USC.
Prior to her current role, Liz managed SCANA U, the corporate university/employee and leadership development department for SCANA Corporation, where she was employed for 10 years. Other roles include five years as Director of S.C. Business Week, the residential youth leadership development program of the S.C. Chamber of Commerce. She served a dual role for the Chamber during that time, also supporting the education and workforce development lobbyists as Education Policy Analyst. She completed four year of research on drug abuse issues following her undergraduate degree and is published in psychopharmacology journals for this work. Immediately following graduate school, Liz served as Associate Director of the Mental Health Association of S.C. and then spent eight years as Director of Training for National Mentor, Inc., providing continuing education for staff serving children and adolescents in 23 states. She is nationally certified in human resources, earning her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) designation in 2007. She is also certified in administration of various behavioral assessments and executive coaching.
In her spare time, Liz enjoys music, college football, and traveling to her beloved Edisto Island. She is a member of Gateway Baptist Church and is the proud Aunt of Drew and Patrick.
Liz Michael
Dr. James Ann Lynch Sheley currently serves as Assistant Superintendent in Richland School District Two where she formerly served as the Chief Planning and Initiatives Officer. She has over 38 years of experience where she has had the opportunity to serve as Director of Elementary Schools in Lexington District One, and Principal of Lugoff Elementary, North Springs Elementary and founding principal at Lake Carolina Elementary Schools.
Dr. Sheley holds a bachelor’s degree from Newberry College, master’s degree and master’s plus 30 from Winthrop University, and an Ed. D. from Nova –Southeastern University. She is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Academy, the Center for Creative Leadership, and the Midlands Educator Leadership Experience,
Dr. Sheley has received numerous awards and honors including the National Milken Educator Award, South Carolina National Principal of the Year, and Alpha Delta Kappa Excellence in Education Award. She is an active member of SCASA where she has served as President of the Elementary Principals Association and has been a member of the Palmetto’s Finest Selection Committee since the early 90’s. Currently she serves on the SC-ASCD Board, the Board of Managers of Newberry College, past Chairperson of the Speers Creek School Campaign Committee, and is a member of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church.
James Ann Sheley
Marty Conner
Grant Gibson was born November 1, 1969 in Chester, South Carolina. He Graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1992 Magna Cum Laude and a member of Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Business Economics. He later received a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of South Carolina in 2001.
He began his career working for the Budget and Control Board in November of 1993 as a Statistician for the Office of Research and Statistics Health and Demographic Statistics Section.
After four years in that section, he moved to a position with the Office of Economic Research/Board of Economic Advisors. His main duties were providing analysis and fiscal impacts for legislation related to local government and State tax issues for both the legislative and executive branches of government.
In September 2011, Grant moved to the Senate Finance Committee where he currently serves as the Assistant Director for Tax Policy, where he is responsible for staffing the Senate K–12 Budget Subcommittee and overseeing legislation that comes before the Senate Finance Committee.
In his spare time Grant enjoys watching and playing sports. An avid Gamecock fan, he loves to attend football, basketball, and baseball games. Grant still tries to play organized basketball, but he sticks to softball and golf to still be any good. He is also active in many of the activities at Ashland United Methodist. Grant has been married for 21 years to Dalene Carroll Gibson, and they have one child, Jalin. She is 10 years old and an avid gymnast.
GRANT GIBSON
Mary Anne is currently the Executive Director for Community Relations in the Kershaw County School District (KCSD). She has worked for KCSD since December of 2005 and previously served in similar communication roles for the Darlington County School District and the SC Department of Education (SCDE). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of South Carolina, an MBA from Francis Marion University, and her Accreditation in Public Relations from the Universal Accreditation Board.
She is a two-time past president of the SC chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (SC/NSPRA), and her department and schools have won multiple awards for excellence in communications from SC/NSPRA including the organization’s prestigious Medallion Award. Mary Anne was named SC/NSPRA's Communicator of the Year in 2018. She also serves as the Chairperson for the Communications Roundtable and the Education Specialists Affiliate President of the SC Association of School Administrators.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family including my husband Howard and sons Braxton and Heath and daughter Allie.
Mary Anne Byrd
Christina Melton adopted an Emerson quote as her personal mantra when she became an education leader. “Do not go where there is a path. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Dr. Melton’s trail has been classroom teacher, school administrator, district administrator, and now, Superintendent in School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties. The schools she served earned various accolades and formed innovative community partnerships to support student achievement. South Carolina’s ETV recorded a documentary on Dr. Melton’s leadership as a case study and tool kit to assist other schools with transformation. As a district administrator, she and her team have created innovative instructional and professional development models which have attracted state and national attention. Dr. Melton believes in leaving a trail of academic excellence and community engagement.
Dr. Melton was named the 2012 South Carolina Elementary Principal of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA), and a 2012 National Distinguished Principal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). She was recognized for her outstanding contributions in education by the South Carolina Association of School Psychologists (SCASP) in 2012. In 2016, she was named the District Level Administrator of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA). Dr. Melton proudly serves on many community and business committees, a few of those being: Ex-officio on the District Five Foundation Board, South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA), United Way of the Midlands Education Council, Rotary of Lake Murray-Irmo, and South Carolina Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (SC ASCD).
She earned both her undergraduate and master's degrees from the University of South Carolina. Her doctorate, specializing in the field of Educational Leadership, with a minor in Curriculum Instruction, was earned at Nova Southeastern University.
CHRISTINA MELTON
Dr. Marcella Heyward Shaw is a native of Yemassee, SC. Marcella is a proud 1989 honor graduate of Wade Hampton High School in Hampton, SC. After high school, she attended The University of South Carolina, Columbia where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. She furthered her education at Cambridge College in Boston, Massachusetts where she received a Masters degree in Education. The Board of Trustees at South Carolina State University awarded Marcella Education Specialist and Doctoral degrees in 2001 and 2003, respectively. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Marcella has been an educator for 25 years. She has been a classroom teacher, served as a Teacher Specialist for the State Department of Education, worked as an Assistant Principal, Principal, Director of Elementary Education, Chief Instructional Officer, and is presently the Superintendent of Schools for Williston School District 29 in Barnwell County.
During her career, Marcella has garnered a number of prestigious awards and has served on a number of Boards to include United Way of the Midlands Education Board, Communities in Schools Board member, and Healthy Partners Board member. She feels that her greatest reward in life is being child of God, a wife to Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Warren Shaw, and mother to MaKayla M'Lynn and Madison McKenna, who are the apples of her eye.As a family, they worship at First Nazareth Baptist Church in Columbia.
MARCELLA Shaw
Troy serves as the VP of Member Services for Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative in Lexington, South Carolina leading the areas of Media & Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Governmental Relations, Energy Services, Wellness, Customer Service Centers and Billing. He loves to serve alongside his neighbors in the community - and loves even more to cast vision and provide leadership for taking the next level. Troy has and currently serves on a number of boards including Mission Lexington(formerly known as LICS) Board, Immediate Past Chair; Lexington Chamber of Commerce Board, Immediate Past Chair; 2017 Recipient of the Lexington Chamber Mike Till Community Service Award; Lexington District One Educational Foundation Board member, Dancing With The Stars, 2017; Lexington-Richland School District Five Business Advisory Council; Celebrate Freedom Foundation; Mentor, Rocky Creek Elementary; Central Carolina Community Foundation – On the Table Forum Committee; La Vie Pregnancy Center Advisory Board; Saluda Economic Development Board; Leadership South Carolina, Leadership Lexington, Founding board member, Past President, Neema Children’s Charities. He is an avid supporter of his alma mater, Furman University and has served as the Past President of Furman Young Alumni Board and most recently as Homecoming Reunion, Chair 2018.
After receiving his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Furman University and MSW from USC, Troy served with NCNB/Bank of America in Corporate Personnel in Charlotte, NC and then in Columbia, SC. After meeting his wife, Dell, they served for over 20 years in ministry together. They have three children - Mary Hannah, freshly graduated from nursing school and John Robert, a senior at Clemson University and Grace Ann, a freshman at Furman. He and his family love to camp, travel, and generally do anything outside. Collecting sunrises and sunsets are a personal favorite - and stand as a family challenge to slow down to admire and experience the beauty of creation.
Troy SImpson
Dr. Scott Turner has been the Superintendent of Spartanburg District Five Schools since 2004. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Wofford College, a Master’s and Ed.S. Degree from Converse College, and his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from South Carolina State University.
His career began in the classroom in 1987, as a Chemistry and AP Biology teacher at his alma mater, Boiling Springs High School. He went on to become an assistant Principal at Dutch Fork Middle School and Chapin High School, before returning to Spartanburg County as the Principal of Chesnee High School. In 2003, he joined Spartanburg District Five as the Principal of Byrnes High School, before assuming his role as Superintendent one year later. This year will mark his 32nd year in education.
In his 15th year as Superintendent, Dr. Turner has led District Five Schools through major times of change and growth. During his tenure, enrollment has surged by more than 2,000 students, with just over 8,500 students currently enrolled. He’s guided the District through multiple facility projects.
Under Dr. Turner’s leadership, District Five has instituted a district wide school choice program, designated three new magnet schools, greatly expanded programs for the arts and athletics, given students on every grade level access to foreign language instruction, and implemented a major one-to-one technology initiative, putting laptops in the hands of every student. Enrollment in AP classes and dual college courses, along with the graduation rate, continue to rise, thanks to Dr. Turner’s guidance. The district has also made school security a priority, placing school resource officers on every campus, along with safety upgrades at every school.
Dr. Turner is the past-president of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators, past-president of SCASA Superintendents’ division, and co-chaired SCASA’s capital building campaign. He currently serves on the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee, the SC School Boards Insurance Trust Board, Spartanburg Community College Board of Commissioners, the BMW Advisory Board, the Upstate Regional Education Center Board, and on the board for Middle Tyger Community Center.
SCOTT TURNER
Melissa (Missy) Campbell serves as the Chief Financial Officer in Spartanburg School District Seven. Ms. Campbell provides leadership and management for all financial, business, and operational activities within the school district. She previously served as Executive Director of Financial Services for the School District of Pickens County for over eight years. In addition, she served over 13 years in a variety of financial positions within the Greenville County School District.
Missy Campbell
Mrs. Beth Elliott graduated from Columbia College in 1977 majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in Sociology. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and her Administration Certification from the University of South Carolina in 1990. Her career began in Richland School District Two at Joseph Keels Elementary in 1977, where she taught 5th and 3rd grades for 12 years. In 1990, she helped to open Pontiac Elementary as the Assistant Principal. In 1999, she was named the Principal of Pontiac Elementary and served the Pontiac Community until 2013. Before her retirement in 2018, she served as the Principal of Windsor Elementary.
Mrs. Elliott played an active role in helping new teachers by collaborating with Colleges and Universities by hosting and facilitating student teachers, as well as practicum students. Pontiac Elementary was one of the first Professional Development Schools as they partnered with the University of South Carolina. She recently received the Wil Lou Gray Outstanding Educator Award from the Columbia College Alumnae Association, on the basis of character and of service to Columbia College, recognizing her 40 years of service to education.
Mrs. Elliott has a strong commitment to the success of teaching and learning environments. She believes that a positive environment built on relationships will enhance student achievement. She and her teammates were very honored to receive the first Teamwork Award in Richland District 2. She believes in focusing on the strengths of an organization and individuals. She believes that a collaborative environment among teachers, parents and community is the key to creating a successful teaching and learning community for all students.
BETH ELLIOT
Rodney Graves is currently serving as principal of Broome High School in Spartanburg, South Carolina and is beginning his 32nd year as an educator.
Graves graduated from Winthrop University in 1987, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with certification in secondary math. He has also earned a masters in sports management from The United States Sports Academy and secondary principal certification from Clemson University.
In addition to leading Broome High School for the past three years, Graves worked as principal at Crest High School in Shelby, NC. Prior experiences include Spartanburg District Seven as the director of secondary education and principal of Spartanburg High School. He also served as principal, assistant principal and athletic director at Pendleton High School, taught math at Rock Hill High and York Comprehensive High Schools, and coached football, boys and girls basketball, and baseball.
Some of Mr. Graves’ awards include; the 2018 SC AAA Principal of The Year, finalist for the Cleveland County Principal of the Year, was nominated for the South Carolina Principal of the Year, and South Carolina Assistant Principal of the Year. He has been chosen as the Educator of the Year by the Electric City and Anderson Rotary Clubs. In 1993 and 1995 he was named Outstanding Teacher of Math, Science, and Computer Science by Tandy Technology Scholars. Graves has also received the South Carolina Literacy Leader Award in 2009.
Mr. Graves wants to give back to the profession by sharing information with other administrators. He has presented at numerous conferences including Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Conference, International Literacy Conference, SC Administrators Conference and the SC Literacy Conference. Mr. Graves has also served as a mentor to aspiring principals.
Mr. Graves’ article about his summer reading program at Spartanburg High School was published in the Palmetto Administrator and in NASSP’s magazine.
Active in the educational community, Mr. Graves has served as a Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence evaluator, SACS Evaluation teams, on the Cleveland Community College Board of Visitors, the SCASA Executive Committee, the South Carolina High School League’s Executive Committee, President of SCASA Secondary Division and president of Leadership Pendleton.
Always an active member in the community Mr. Graves has served on the Upstate Workforce Investment Board, worked with the Upstate Youth Council and Youth Alliance, served as President of Leadership Pendleton, and on the Boards of the Pendleton YMCA and Foothills YMCA.
Rodney and his wife Dawn have 3 children (Clark, Luke & Lanie).
Rodney Graves
Dr. Darrell Johnson is interim superintendent of Orangeburg County School District. He previously was superintendent of Greenwood School District 50 for 13 years. The son of Mary Johnson was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in the small town of Clover, SC by his grandmother.
For nearly 30 years now, Dr. Johnson has pursued his passion to make a difference in the lives of children. While obtaining his teaching credentials in the mid-1980s, he worked as a school custodian and substitute teacher. After teaching language arts at the secondary level, Dr. Johnson served as an elementary school principal, then as an assistant superintendent. In 2004, he earned his doctorate in education at South Carolina State University. During this time, he still found time to officiate NCAA Division I college basketball games for more than twenty-five years.
What stands out most about Dr. Johnson is his energy, hard work, and dedication to the children, families, and wider community he serves. He is passionate about creating the conditions for every child to develop the core academic and social-emotional competencies they need for success at school and for what lies beyond. He became an author this year with the publication of “It Ain’t In The Book.”
DARRELL JOHNSON
Angie Mishoe is currently serving as the Assistant Principal for Batesburg-Leesville Elementary School in Lexington County School District Three. She has been part of the Lexington School District Three family for seven years now, serving as a special education teacher at Batesburg-Leesville Elementary for four years, then as the Instructional Coordinator for Batesburg-Leesville Primary School for two years before returning to the elementary school to serve as the Assistant Principal. Prior to coming to Lexington School District Three, Angie worked in Lexington School District One and Sumter School District 17 as a special education teacher.
Angie earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Winthrop University in Special Education in 1992, a Master of Sports Science from the United States Sports Academy in Sports Management in 1994, and a Master of Education from the University of South Carolina in Educational Administration in 2016.
Angie and her husband Tommy live in Lexington and have two children, Marshall, 21, and Jordan, 18. With both children heading off to college this year, she is now entering the “empty nest" phase of life and is not at all pleased about this as of yet.
Angie Mishoe
Pat Paul currently serves as Chief HR Officer in Spartanburg School District 5 where she formerly served as the Director of Professional Development and Teacher Evaluation. She has over 28 years of experience where she has had the opportunity to serve as Principal in Spartanburg District 5 and Spartanburg District 7.
Mrs. Paul began her career in education as a second grade teacher at Townville Elementary in Anderson District 4. While teaching she obtained her Master’s degree in Reading and was later trained as a Reading Recovery Teacher. After 10 years of teaching, she moved into administration in Spartanburg District 7.
Mrs. Paul holds a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree from Clemson University, and ED.S from University of South Carolina. She is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Academy, the Center for Creative Leadership, and is a platinum graduate of the Center for Executive Education Leadership (CEEL) for District Leaders. Pat is an active member of SCASA and a new member of the CEEL facilitator team where she is excited to share her expertise with administrators across South Carolina.
Pat Paul
Mike is the budget director for the South Carolina Senate Finance Committee, a position where he has served since 2001. The Finance Committee is tasked with developing the state’s annual budget as well as tax policy.
Prior to moving to the State Senate, Mike was Director of the Division of Regional Development for the State Budget and Control Board. In addition, his list of experience includes the State Budget Office and the Board of Economic Advisors.
Mike received his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in economics and political science from Clemson University and his master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition, Mike participated in the Fund for American Studies program at Georgetown University.
Mike has previously served as a member of the Board of Visitors for the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and the Clemson University Board of Visitors.
MIKE SHEALY
Effective November 1, 2019, Michael “Mike” Williams was named as the Director of Recruiting and the Director of Diversity & Inclusion for Michelin North America. In this dual role, he is responsible for attracting, identifying, recruiting, and integrating diverse and inclusive talents in line with the needs of the business. Prior to being named to this role, Mike served as the Facility Personnel Manager for Michelin North America’s passenger car and light truck manufacturing facility located in Lexington, South Carolina. He was responsible for contributing to the site’s industrial performance by steering the human resource function for the 1600 person site. Throughout his 20 year career with Michelin, he has also held the position of Director of Leadership Development, Supply Chain Engineering Manager, Retread Supply Chain Manager, Continuous Improvement Manager, and Industrial Engineer. Prior to joining Michelin, Mike served our country as an Army Quartermaster Officer with tours at Camp Hovey, South Korea with the 2nd Infantry Division, and Fort Lee, Virginia with the 49th Quartermaster Group. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Mike received his B.S. degree in Operations Research from the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he also played tight-end on the Army football team. He has a passion for mentoring and serving his community. Mike has and currently serves on a number of boards including the Center for Manufacturing Innovation Advisory Board; South Carolina Coordinating Council for Workforce Development; Business Advisory Board; Midlands Technical College Foundation Board of Directors; Columbia, SC Urban League Board of Directors; Lexington County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; and the State Education and Workforce Development Committee. In addition, he is a graduate of the Riley Institute Diversity Leadership Initiative at Furman University. He is also a United Way Palmetto Society Leader’s Circle Member and an active supporter of March of Dimes, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Boys and Girls Club.
Mike and his wife Latrice reside in the Greenville, SC area.
Mike Williams
Dr. Sandra Lindsay retired as Distinguished Clinical Professor Emeritus from the Educational Leadership and Policies Department of the College of Education at the University of South Carolina. Previously, she served as Deputy State Superintendent at the South Carolina Department of Education. She has assumed numerous statewide leadership roles including the presidency of both the South Carolina Association of School Superintendents and the South Carolina Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Dr Lindsay has received numerous awards and honors for her work with public schools and has served at the national level as President of the Deputies Leadership Commission of the Council of Chief State School Officers.
Dr. Lindsay is a partner in Lindsay Consulting, LLC. The firm helps clients in the private, public, and non-profit sectors with building organizational trust; assessing, recruiting and retaining high quality staff; strategic planning; and building effective internal and external communication systems. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member in Executive Education at The Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina where she is a key instructor for highly successful program offerings such as High Performance Coaching, Leadership through People Skills and Supervisory Development for New Managers.
Since its inception Dr. Lindsay has been involved with the development and delivery of leadership modules for the Center for Executive Education Leadership (CEEL). CEEL’s purpose is to insure the ongoing professional growth of leaders of the highest quality for South Carolina’s schools and districts, a purpose that mirrors Dr. Lindsay’s life-long commitment and professional body of work.
Sandy Lindsay
Cheryl A. Caution-Parker, Ed.D., currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Richland School District Two. She began her first term in 2014 upon her retirement as Deputy superintendent from the district after 34 years of service. Caution-Parker began her education career in the district as a teacher at E. L Wright Middle School where she earned the award of Richland School District Two Teacher of the Year. Her years as a school administrator includes serving as an administrator at Dent Middle School, principal of Forest Lake Elementary School and principal of Dent Middle School. While serving as principal of Dent Middle School, Caution-Parker helped the school earn National Blue Ribbon, Palmetto’s Finest and Exemplary Writing awards. She then served as Chief Administrative Office and Deputy Superintendent for the district. Servant leadership has marked the career of Dr. Caution-Parker. She has served as a role model, mentor, and sponsor to aspiring school district leaders. Her career in education resulted in Caution-Parker winning the William B. Harley lifetime Achievement award.
Caution-Parker received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of South Carolina.She also earned a doctorate in education from NOVA Southeastern University, FL.
Cheryl Caution-Parker
Dr. Gary currently serves as principal of Dutch Fork High School in Lexington/Richland School District Five. Prior to working at Dutch Fork High, he served as an elementary and middle school principal in Lexington/Richland Five. In 2017, he was named South Carolina Middle School Principal of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators and Dutch Fork Middle was named a Palmetto’s Finest School.
He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Francis Marion University, a Master’s in Educational Administration from the University of South Carolina and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
In his spare time, he enjoys reading and spending time with his wife Melissa and sons Gerald II and Cameron.
Gerald GARY
Debra Hamm began her career as a teacher in a rural elementary school serving students in grades 1-8 in Sumter, South Carolina. Moved to try to find solutions to the many challenges her students faced, she decided to pursue a Ph.D. in Educational Research at the University of South Carolina. Upon finishing graduate school, she joined Richland School District Two as the Curriculum Coordinator for a grant focused on Mastery Learning and at the conclusion of the grant went on to serve as the Supervisor of the Teacher Assessment Unit of the SC Department of Education. She returned to Richland Two as the Director of Research and then held the positions of Director of Elementary and Secondary Education, Chief Academic Officer, Chief Information officer and Superintendent. In addition to her full-time work, Dr. Hamm also served as an adjunct professor at USC, teaching courses in statistics, evaluation, and educational measurement. She is a co-author of “An Empowerment Evaluation Approach to Implementing With Quality at Scale: The Quality Implementation Process and Tools,” a chapter in the evaluation textbook, Empowerment Evaluation, edited by Fetterman, Kaftarian, and Wandersman.
Dr. Hamm retired from Richland Two in 2017, but within a month was recruited to serve as the Interim Superintendent of the Sumter School District for a term that ended on June 30, 2019, thus concluding her full-time career where she started it. She now works as a consultant and is associated with the Wandersman Center, which provides clients with data, tools and technical assistance for quality program implementations that lead to desired outcomes.
A California native, Dr. Hamm received her B.A. from the University of California at Santo Barbara, and her M.Ed., Ed. Specialist, and Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including SCASA’s District Administrator of the Year Award and SCASA Lifetime Achievement Award. She serves on the boards of the United Way of the Midlands, MIRCI, and Girl Scouts Mountains to the Midlands. In her spare time she enjoys travel, reading, entertaining, and spending time with her six grandchildren.
Debbie Hamm
Dr. Percy A. Mack is the CEO of Navigational Leadership Systems, LLC., a leadership consulting firm. He is also the Director of the Educational Leadership Program at South Carolina State University. Dr. Mack was the superintendent of Richland County School District One in Columbia, SC until his retirement in 2014. Prior to coming to Richland One in July of 2008, Dr. Mack served as superintendent of the Dayton Public School System in Dayton, Ohio. Before his service in Dayton, OH. He also served as the assistant superintendent, coordinator of human resources, a high school principal and assistant principal, a teacher and a coach in DeKalb County, GA. He began his teaching career in the Savannah-Chatham School System.
Dr. Mack holds a B.S. in Social Science Education from Savannah State College, an M.Ed. in Social Science Education from the University of Georgia, and both the Ed.S. and Ph.D. in Administration and Supervision from Georgia State University. In addition, Dr. Mack has done further study in Reform Educational Governance and Leadership, he has attended the Harvard Institute of School Leadership and is a fellow of the Riley Institute on Diversity.
His numerous honors and awards include having been named the Superintendent of the Year by the National Association of Black School Educators (NASBE); U.S. Congressional Technology Education Champion Leadership Award; and Southern Christian Leadership Conference Image Award in Education.
PERCY MACK
Claire Thompson has 30 years experience as a school administrator. Mrs. Thompson recently retired as principal from Lake Murray Elementary School in Lexington/Richland School District 5 where she had served for 21 years. Prior to opening Lake Murray Elementary, Mrs. Thompson served as principal of Chapin Elementary School for three years. Mrs. Thompson’s other administrative experience includes assistant principalships at Nursery Road Elementary in School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties and Red Bank Elementary in Lexington School District One. Mrs. Thompson is currently working part-time with the Human Resources Office in School District Five. Mrs. Thompson was recognized in 2015 as the South Carolina Elementary Principal of the Year and as a National Distinguished Principal from the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Mrs. Thompson was awarded the Order of the Silver Crescent, the state’s highest honor for community service, in May 2018. During her years as principal at Lake Murray Elementary, Mrs. Thompson was awarded the District Superintendent’s Award for School Culture as well as the Superintendent’s Award for Leadership. Mrs. Thompson has presented at various conferences including the SCASA i3, Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, and State Reading Conference. Mrs. Thompson’s undergraduate and graduate degrees are from the University of South Carolina. She is married to Stuart Thompson and they have three married children and six grandchildren.
Claire Thompson
Seth Young currently serves as the principal of Wren High School in Piedmont, SC. During his seventeen year career, he has served in a variety of roles at the high school and middle school level including Principal, Freshman Academy Director, Assistant Principal, math teacher, and basketball coach.
Seth received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and his Master’s in Educational Supervision and Administration from Clemson University. In 2018, he completed his PhD from Clemson with an emphasis on school leaders’ engagement with policies that impact their roles as school leaders.
Dr. Young has presented on his experience as a school administrator at state and national conferences. His school has been recognized for excellence in academic achievement by several organizations at both the state and national level. He has also taught courses to aspiring school leaders at Clemson University.
Seth and his wife, Ashley, have two children, Grant and Lydia.