Since 1984, Wells Fargo Bank has financially supported a program in collaboration with the Department of Public Instruction to recognize outstanding principals from the North Carolina public schools. Since the inception of the program, we have recognized 38 state Wells Fargo Principals of the Year, 248 regional award recipients, and 3,167 local Wells Fargo Principals of the Year.

ELIGIBILITY

The candidate must:

• Be a principal of a North Carolina public school.
• Have at least four years’ experience as an administrator (years may be a combination of assistant principal, principal and central office experience).
• A principal is a person designated by a local Board of Education as the head of a school with 100 or more pupils in average daily membership (ADM) and/or with seven or more full-time, state-allotted teachers.
• A principal is the executive head of the school
• Be employed as a school administrator throughout the local and regional selection process.
• Be a practicing school administrator in order to compete for the Wells Fargo Principal of the Year state title and remain practicing principal for the entire term.
• Hold a valid principal's license.

Candidates should:

• Create a climate of inquiry the challenges the school community to continually re-purpose itself by building on its core values and beliefs about its preferred further and then developing a pathway to reach it.
• Reculture the school if needed to align with school’s goals of improving student and adult learning and to infuse the work of the adults and students with passion, meaning and purpose.
• Build a sense of efficacy and empowerment among staff that result in a “can do” attitude when faced with challenges.
• Ensure the school is a professional learning community.
• Create with staff opportunities for parents, community, and business representatives to participate in the school such that continued investments of resources and good will are not left to chance.
  
  

CHCCS Principals of the Year

2005    Susan Pegg

2006    Jacqueline Boyd Ellis

2007    Deshera Mack (Regional Finalist)

2008    Amy Rickard

2009    Valerie Reinhardt

2010    Emily Bivins

2011    Susan Wells

2012    Dr. Amanda Hartness

2013    Marny Ruben

2014    Amy Rickard (Regional Finalist)

2015    Dr. Darlene Ryan

2016    Dr. LaVerne Mattocks

2017    Dr. Beverly Rudolph

2018    John Williams

2019    Dr. Emily Bivins

2020    Dr. Robert Bales

2021    Crystal Etheridge-Epps

2022    Crystal Etheridge-Epps

2023    Aisha Howard

2024    Minnie Goins