Vance County Schools

For Immediate Release

March 17, 2017

Sixteen Vance County Schools educators were honored during the evening of March 16 for their completion of the prestigious Vance County Teacher Executive Institute program.

The graduation dinner and ceremony were held at the Henderson Country Club.

The Teacher Executive Institute (TEI) is presented each year by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and the Vance County Public School Foundation as a leadership program for local public school educators. Participants go through four all-day sessions during the school year that are designed to bring them together with local business leaders to discuss their common interests and partnership in educating local youth to be future members of our workforce and future community leaders.

Educators honored for completing this year’s program include: Facetia Branch of Carver Elementary; Shannon Bullock of Clarke Elementary; Jennifer Coleman of E.O. Young Jr. Elementary; Jill Coleman of Aycock Elementary; Valerie Hairston of Zeb Vance Elementary; Regina Hilliard of E.M. Rollins Elementary; Kevin Johnson of New Hope Elementary; Sharita Jones of L.B. Yancey Elementary; Melodie Kernahan of Southern Vance High; Mieya Petitt of Eaton-Johnson Middle; Kedecia Stewart of Pinkston Street Elementary; Orlando Terry of STEM Early High; Tracy Thorpe of Northern Vance High; Donna Vann of Dabney Elementary; Thomas Venetta of Early College High; and Adith Williams-White of Henderson Middle.

The TEI graduates are shown in the accompanying photo as they are joined by the Chick-fil-A Cow, wearing his graduation attire. Chick-fil-A of Henderson is one of about 20 business sponsors for the program. Shown with the graduates are Miles Macleod, N.C. North Central Region Teacher of the Year, standing at far left, and Dr. Trixie Brooks, assistant superintendent for Vance County Schools, standing at far right. Macleod was the featured speaker for the evening and Brooks assisted in presenting each graduate with a handsome framed certificate.

Shown in the photo are, seated from left, Adith Williams-White, Regina Hilliard, Mieya Petitt, Facetia Branch, Kedecia Stewart and Sharita Jones. Standing from left are, Miles Macleod, Valerie Hairston, Jill Coleman, Shannon Bullock, Tracy Thorpe, Orlando Terry, Melodie Kernahan, Kevin Johnson, Jennifer Coleman, Thomas Venetta, Donna Vann and Dr. Trixie Brooks.