Dr. Rodney Trice returned to the district in July 2021 as its Chief Equity & Engagement Officer.  Trice returns to CHCCS after working in Wake County Public Schools for seven years as its assistant superintendent of equity affairs.  Before leaving the district, Trice served as the executive director of curriculum, instruction and technology and then later as associate superintendent for student and social services and equity oversight.  He previously served in CHCCS for eight years.  Trice has also worked as a policy advisor for NC Department of Public Instruction, an associate principal in Orange County Schools and a director and teacher in Detroit.  Trice holds a bachelor's degree in Biology from Morehouse College in Atlanta, a master's degree in Educational Administration from the University of Detroit at Mercy, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Jackie Love joined the Equity and Engagement team as the Director of Family and Community Engagement in June 2022.  She has many years of experience working with families and community partners in various capacities.  Prior to accepting this position, she was the Social Worker at Seawell Elementary School. Jackie previously worked with Guilford County Schools as a Social Worker.  She also worked with Durham Public Schools for over 10 years as a Social Worker and the McKinney-Vento Coordinator for the district.  

Jackie received a Bachelor of Social Work from North Carolina Central University and a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  She also received a Master of School Administration from Campbell University.  

Jackie is the proud mother of two young adults, Jessica and Jeremy and her son-in-law, Rodney.  She enjoys bowling and doing fun things with her family and friends.

Dr. Carla Marlin Smith is our Equity Specialist for Family Engagement and McKinney-Vento Liaison. Carla's passion is education; it's not just her career. Prior to joining the team, she has been a parent advocate, school administrator, and teacher with 20+ years of experience in public school education and parental education/training.

Carla received her B.A. in Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill, Middle Grades Teaching Certification from Catawba College, a master's in School Administration from UNC-Charlotte, and a doctorate in Education Leadership from Western Carolina University.  She is also an NC Qualified Parent Educator and received a certificate in Family Life Education from NC State University.

A native of Salisbury, NC, Carla considers parenting her most challenging and rewarding venture. She and her husband, Johnny, are the parents of two amazingly, brilliant, young men, Jonathan and Cameron.

Lorie Clark serves as the Coordinator for Student Leadership and Engagement. She served as the Blue Ribbon High School Specialist for seventeen years.  She encourages students to use their voices for the advancement of educational and human rights.  Lorie has also organized numerous local, national, and international service-learning enrichment trips so that students can expand their global perspective.  

Lorie received a B.A. in Communication from Eckerd College.  She believes that “to whom much is given, much is required” and that you should dream until your dreams become your reality.  Lorie is the recipient of the 2019 Pauli Murray Award and 3x WCHL Hometown Hero, honoree.  Lorie is also the founder of the Hannah Ruth Foundation and serves on numerous academic and non-profit boards and organizations.  

Lorie was born and raised in Chapel Hill. Her family’s legacy spans seven generations. She is the proud mother of two sons D. Landon Hawkins II and Langston J. Hawkins. Her passion is empowering youth to fulfill their dreams and providing them with support and opportunities to do so. Lorie has learned to embrace life to its fullest and believes her work is both her calling and ministry.

Trilce joined the CHCCS Equity and Engagement Team as an Equity Specialist in 2019 after 12 years as an NYC public school teacher. She now serves as the Coordinator for Instructional Equity and Leadership.

During her time in New York, Trilce presented at the New York Collective of Radical Educators 2018 Conference on building an anti-bias elementary community, served as a district equity leader in the Critically Conscious Educators Rising Series, and worked on her school's Racial Equity Advisory Team. Trilce holds a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in Sociology and a Masters in Childhood Education from Fordham University. She lives in Chapel Hill with her husband Jason, her children Seneca, Kahlo and Cora, and her dog Freddy.

Ms. Eugenia Floyd has been teaching fourth grade for eight years in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district. A 2005 graduate of East Chapel Hill High School, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Ms. Floyd is a product of the school system in which she teaches. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Following graduation, she became a teacher assistant at Morris Grove Elementary School within the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district. Her time assisting in the classroom played a great role in her making the decision to obtain her teaching license. She completed her K-6 teacher certification at North Carolina Central University in 2013. That same year, Ms. Floyd began her career as a fourth-grade classroom teacher at Mary Scroggs Elementary School.

Since the start of her career, Ms. Floyd’s personal experiences in school have played a pivotal role in her teaching philosophy. She truly believes that every student can learn and having high expectations of her students is vital to their academic growth. Ms. Floyd’s teaching philosophy and high expectations are evident in her student data and within her classroom atmosphere. Ms. Floyd doesn’t just expect her students to grow, but she also has this expectation for herself. When the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools partnered with Elon University to assist a cohort of teachers in earning a gifted certification, Ms. Floyd jumped at the opportunity to grow in her craft. After obtaining her certification from the program, she continued on to graduate with a Master’s degree in Gifted Education in 2020 from Elon. During this same school year, Ms. Floyd was named the 2021 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. Ms. Floyd continues to advocate and support both students and teachers as a speaker, panelist, and advisor to several boards including the North Carolina State Board of Education. 

Ms. Floyd now serves as an Equity Specialist for Instructional Equity for the Chapel Hill- Carrboro City School district.

Liz serves as an Equity Specialist for Instructional Equity in the CHCCS Equity and Engagement Office after ten years as classroom teacher in North Carolina Public Schools. 

During her time at Northside Elementary, Liz was a leader in Restorative Practices, co-leader of the Equity Team, and helped build Northside's anti-racist curriculum. She has presented at the Let's Talk Racism conference for five years. During the 2017-2018 school year, she piloted the implementation of AVID Elementary for CHCCS at Northside. Liz was named Northside Elementary's Teacher of the Year for the 2021-2022 school year, and was a CHCCS Teacher of the Year finalist. 

She has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a focus in Language and Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Outside of education, Liz teaches yoga at Franklin Street Yoga in Chapel Hill. She lives in Chapel Hill with her husband Charlie and her dog Poppy. 

Terrence Foushee is a Chapel Hill, NC native with a passion for educating youth. He was raised in the church with parents that prioritized service to the community and that has permeated his life since. Terrence lived out those passions as an English teacher at Northwood High School where he taught for 8 years. As an educator, Terrence believes in helping students find their voices via introspective writing and public speaking. He has taught creative writing classes that promote literacy skill development through storytelling and poetry. As the Blue Ribbon Specialist, he looks forward to facilitating the growth of the BR scholars through personal reflection, service learning, and collaboration.  The Blue Ribbon Specialist position is a full-circle moment for him, as he was a member of the Blue Ribbon YLI Program at Chapel Hill High School. He appreciates the opportunity to use the service leadership skills he developed from working with Ms. Clark to “pay it forward”.

Terrence is a graduate of North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC where he holds a bachelor’s degree in English Education. He came to teaching after having served for two years with the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, taking his service to the community mindset from Chapel Hill to communities across the United States. Working alongside various nonprofits and organizations around the Gulf Coast, Terrence and his fellow team members helped rebuild homes devastated by hurricanes, built trails for state parks, and led camping trips with inner-city youth. After his two years of service, he received a Bronze Congressional Award for Community Service and returned to Chapel Hill with a renewed sense of purpose. Terrence lived that purpose through his work at the Street Scene Teen Center, a youth focused community center, serving as the Weekend Program Director along with his service on the board of the Sacrificial Poets, a youth serving spoken word poetry organization.

In his free time, Terrence enjoys playing basketball (on the court or on PS4), reading, and watching any television show based on a comic book.

Tabitha Gaskin joined the Equity and Engagement team as the Executive Secretary in May 2023. She has many years of experience working with children of all ages and families in various capacities. Before accepting this position, she was the program manager at Chapel Hill Cooperative Preschool for over sixteen years. Tabtha’s interest in the Equity and Engagement department heightened through her daughter’s (Ladionna) participation as a scholar in the Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate (BRMA) program.  

Tabitha received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education degree from Stanly Community College in Albemarle, North Carolina, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. 

Tabitha believes “Equality is leaving the door open for anyone who has the means to approach it; equity is ensuring there is a pathway to that door for those who need it.”

Tabitha lives in Carrboro with her husband, Jason, and daughter, Ladionna. She enjoys spending time with her family and gardening.