CULLOWHEE – Governor Roy Cooper has appointed Dr. Phillip Barry Williams to the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT), a recognized national leader in professional development programming for our state’s teachers.
Representing Educational Region 1, Dr. Williams resides in Hobbsville where he is Superintendent of Gates County Public Schools, a position he has held for the past 10 years.
Dr. Williams received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, his master’s degree in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech, and his doctoral degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. He served two years as a school superintendent in Colorado before taking his current position in North Carolina.
During his tenure in North Carolina, Dr. Williams completed an additional degree in educational law, received national superintendent certification from AASA, was named the Northeast Region Superintendent of the Year in 2019, and has served on numerous committees and cohorts in support of public education in North Carolina.
“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Williams to our board and appreciate his willingness to serve education in the state of North Carolina,” NCCAT Executive Director Dr. M. Brock Womble said.
Per Section 115C-296.6 of the North Carolina General Statutes, the NCCAT Board of Trustees is composed of the following membership: the Chairman of the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction or their designees (both ex officio members); two members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate; two members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and eight members appointed by the Governor, one from each of the eight educational regions.
Dr. Williams expressed, “I am honored to be appointed by Governor Cooper to serve on the board. I am excited about the experience and look forward to working with the committee to provide positive transformations to our educational environment in the Northeast.”