Four district administrators have been awarded the 2026 Dr. Samuel Houston Jr. Leadership Award by the North Carolina School Superintendents’ Association (NCSSA) and the North Carolina Alliance for School Leadership Development (NCASLD), according to an April press release.
The four leaders are:
- Jessica Anderson, executive director of Exceptional Children and Student Services at Alexander County Schools.
- Dr. Bryan Denton, executive director for secondary education at Gaston County Schools.
- Lisa Gahagan, assistant superintendent for Madison County Schools.
- Dr. Jayme McPhatter, instructional program facilitator for Chatham County Schools.
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The leaders “exemplify the traits that guided Dr. Sam Houston’s career in educational leadership,” said NCSSA Executive Director Jack Hoke in the release. “They have a commitment to continuous improvement, high standards of ethical conduct, strategic planning, improving student performance, and meeting the needs of the 21st century workforce.”
The NCSSA and NCASLD give this award to graduates of the organizations’ Aspiring Superintendent Program, which the release says is “designed to empower transformational education leaders for North Carolina’s public schools.”
It is named after Dr. Samuel Houston, president and chief executive officer of the North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center. Houston was also superintendent of the Mooresville Graded School District for a decade and the first executive director of the University of North Carolina Center for Leadership Development. In 2024, he received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
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