The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) announced this year’s nine regional Principals of the Year, according to a Thursday press release.
One of these principals will be named as the 2026 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year on May 15 in Cary. The Principal of the Year serves as an adviser to the State Board of Education for two years and as a member of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Public School Forum.
In the press release, State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green emphasized the high level of skill and commitment necessary to serve as a principal.
“Being a principal is a unique role that combines leadership, management and people skills, pedagogical knowledge and a lot of hard work,” Green said. “These finalists are skilled professionals who help others succeed. They create programs to meet the needs of students and their families, deliver professional development and support to teachers and other educators and establish community partnerships that bring real-world learning to students.”
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The Wells Fargo Principal of the Year Award was introduced in 1984, the release says, “to recognize the critical role of the principal in establishing a culture that supports the pursuit and achievement of academic excellence in North Carolina schools.”
Learn more about each of the regional winners below.
Northeast | Kelly E. Flora, Nags Head Elementary School, Dare County Schools
Kelly Flora joined Nags Head Elementary School in 2021, serving as the school’s third principal in three years, according to DPI’s press release. During the 2024-25 school year, the elementary school saw increases in growth and performance scores on end-of-grade assessments for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The press release says that under Flora’s leadership, the school has embraced a collaborative philosophy to build a strong sense of community between parents, students, and staff members.
“Regular student surveys, parent communications, parent surveys and community involvement allow us to create an environment where students feel respected, supported and empowered,” Flora said. “By distributing leadership, fostering transparent communication and intentionally engaging staff, students and families, we have transformed our school culture into one of trust, collaboration and shared ownership.”
Southeast | Dr. Marlow Artis, Craven Early College High School, Craven County Schools
Dr. Marlow Artis was surprised to learn he had received the recognition during a celebration held at the Craven County Board of Education.
In his remarks, Artis thanked his team, spoke of his love for students, and attributed much of his success to his grandmother, according to a press release from his district.
Artis’s implementation of executive functioning strategies — reliance on planning tools, note-taking systems, and routines to begin and end meetings — has streamlined instruction for teachers, DPI’s release says.
“Craven Early College High School’s success is the product of intentional systems, consistent communication and shared leadership,” Artis said. “By building a culture where every team member understands their role in advancing our mission, we have created a well-coordinated, high-performing school community that thrives together — each and every day.”
Throughout his four years in the role, the early college has exceeded growth and kept an A performance grade, even shattering records on end-of-course exams in Biology, English II, and Math III, according to DPI’s press release.
North Central | Dr. Mariah Walker, Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy, Wake County Public School System
Dr. Mariah Walker has served as the principal of Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy since 2022, according to the school website. During that time, she has helped the school transition its early college program from St. Augustine’s University to Wake Technical Community College for the 2024-25 school year, the release says, and to Shaw University last fall.
Her school was also recognized as a 2026 Top Magnet School of Excellence by Magnet Schools of America.
“Dr. Walker leads with the belief that every young woman is gifted, ensuring rigorous and intellectually rich instruction is accessible to all,” said 2025 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year Jason Johnson in a Wake County press release. “She fosters deep trust within the school community by showing up authentically, encouraging vulnerability, and honoring staff as whole people, not just educators. Teachers describe the culture under her leadership as joyful, courageous, and purpose driven. She has created a place where growth is expected, supported, and celebrated.”
In her role, she has focused on supporting teachers’ development, promoting equity and encouraging self-care among educators.
“Humans bring joy and brilliance, but also their stresses, grief and complexities. My leadership is rooted in creating a culture where those realities are acknowledged and respected, and where growth is fostered through vulnerability, honesty and courage,” she said. “Together, we unpack not only our strengths but also our obstacles. We explore guilt, fear and shame, while practicing daily courage in naming and navigating them.”
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Sandhills | Dr. Latreicia Allen, John Griffin Middle School, Cumberland County Schools
Under Dr. Latreicia Allen’s leadership, John Griffin Middle School’s performance grade has moved up from a C to a B — and met or exceeded growth over the past two years.
That progress has been due in part to Allen’s data-driven, empathy-based discipline model and her work to provide teachers with monthly professional development opportunities, the DPI release says, including visits to other high-performing schools.
“Through intentional leadership, data-informed decision-making and authentic community partnerships, we have built a school where students thrive, families feel valued and teachers grow,” Allen said. “Every success we celebrate is a reflection of collective commitment and the belief that when relationships, rigor and relevance align, extraordinary learning happens.”
Piedmont Triad | Dr. Darrell A. Harris, Jr., Eastern Guilford High School, Guilford County Schools
Dr. Darrell Harris, Jr.’s leadership is all about buy-in. When Eastern Guilford High School needed a schoolwide cellphone policy, he convened student focus groups, surveyed stakeholders, and left the language up to the educators on the school improvement team, according to DPI.
“The policy was intentionally framed not as a punishment, but as a commitment to learning and respect — designed to reinforce our culture of support, safety and accountability,” Harris said. “One student remarked, ‘It feels like you actually listened to us instead of just making rules for us.’ This inclusive process built trust and ownership among all stakeholders before the policy was even launched.”
The school hosts student focus groups regularly, and teachers are allowed to choose the professional development sessions that align most with their interests.
Eastern Guilford High has improved student proficiency and growth outcomes across subjects, and made gains in teachers’ SAS Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) scores, according to DPI.
Southwest | LaTresha Wilson, Tuckaseegee Elementary School, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Tuckaseegee Elementary School’s performance grade has risen from a D to a B in the two years that LaTresha Wilson has been principal — her first principalship, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
The Title I school also had the highest growth in literacy scores in the district in 2024 — even though a fourth of students have limited English proficiency — earning it the Early Literacy Growth Award from the education technology company Branching Minds.
Wilson grew up in the school’s neighborhood, raised by a family of educators.
“I’ve always said that Tuckaseegee is a wonderful neighborhood school,” Wilson said. “I know that when students are in the community, they don’t have a choice of their neighborhood school. I want to make sure that their neighborhood school is one that they want to go to, not one that they just have to be at. I believe that the energy of us growing, it is just making our school an even better community school.”
Northwest | Dustin Farmer, Ashe County High School, Ashe County Schools
Last spring, under Dustin Farmer’s leadership, Ashe County High School had a graduation rate above 90% for the first time in its history, according to the DPI release.
“We will never stop working to ensure that students are receiving the education they deserve,” Farmer said. “Our goal has never been simply to graduate students, but to send them into the world with the knowledge, skills, character and confidence to pursue whatever dreams they hold.”
Farmer has 22 years of experience in education, and he previously served as the principal of Ashe County Middle School, where he helped raise the school’s performance grade from a C to a B over three years, exceeding growth in 2017-18, according to DPI.
Western | Jennifer McBrayer, CHASE Middle School, Rutherford County Schools
Before Jennifer McBrayer took over as principal at CHASE Middle School in 2023, discipline was a big concern at the school. But under her leadership, discipline referrals have dropped by more than 37%, according to DPI.
McBrayer has also been an advocate for students and educators, meeting with state and county leaders and using her social media to explain education policy issues.
“I strive to be someone stakeholders can trust to listen, respond fairly and act with integrity,” McBrayer said. “Even when difficult conversations are necessary, I approach them in ways that I hope preserve relationships and allow the school community to move forward together in the best interest of students.”
She also oversaw logistics and coordinated communications with relief agencies and local government agencies during Hurricane Helene, when CHASE Middle served as a shelter for medically fragile patients and a supply hub, according to DPI.
Charter | Deborah Brown, The Exploris School
Deborah Brown joined The Exploris School, a Raleigh K-8 charter school, as director of middle grades in 2019.
But beyond The Exploris School, Brown served on former Gov. Roy Cooper’s Teacher Advisory Committee for his eight years in office, the release says. She has also provided professional development seminars for the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching for more than 10 years.
“Contemporary principals have to be experts not just in student learning, but in adult learning, too, to make sure staff stays inspired, equipped and connected to growth and skill development that can be the rising tide to lift all the educational boats in the school,” Brown said.
The ceremony will be livestreamed on DPI’s YouTube and Facebook. You can learn more about the Principal of the Year program by visiting DPI’s website.
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