LCPS's Brent Williams a finalist for new CTE Superintendent of the Year award
Superintendent Brent Williams, who has led Lenoir County Public Schools into a new era of student achievement, work-based learning and career readiness, is a regional finalist for the inaugural North Carolina CTE Superintendent of the Year award.
Williams is one of eight regional finalists from across North Carolina. All eight finalists were recognized at the North Carolina CTE Teacher of the Year Recognition Event on Oct. 29 in Concord, and the Lenoir County Board of Education honored Williams at its meeting Nov. 2. The inaugural North Carolina CTE Superintendent of the Year will be announced in December.
LCPS Superintendent Brent Williams, center, has been named a regional finalist for the inaugural North Carolina CTE Superintendent of the Year Award. Joining in recognizing Williams for his achievement at the Nov. 2 meeting of the Lenoir County Board of Education are, from left, Assistant Superintendent Nicholas Harvey II, Associate Superintendent Frances Herring, Director of High School Education and CTE Dr. Elizabeth Pierce and school board member Jonathan Britt.
The North Carolina Association for Career and Technical Education (NCACTE) established and sponsors this award to recognize superintendents whose leadership has made a meaningful difference for Career and Technical Education (CTE). The recognition program is supported by the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT).
Regional nominations were reviewed based on the superintendent's support of high-quality CTE programs, innovation and leadership in expanding opportunities for students and strengthening CTE partnerships.
The nomination submitted by Dr. Elizabeth Pierce, LCPS’s director of high school education and CTE, called attention to the “strategic framework” developed by Williams since being named superintendent in 2015 – a program that emphasizes staff development, wide-ranging partnerships with employers and other educational institutions in the region and the learning opportunities provided through internships and apprenticeships.
“Being named a finalist is such a well-deserved honor for an educator who has consistently focused on the work needed to prepare students for fulfilling careers in the 21st century,” Pierce said after NCCAT’s notification last week. “By elevating the importance of CTE programs in our middle schools and high schools, by creating opportunities for students to hone their skills as interns and apprentices and by strengthening partnerships with area employers, Superintendent Williams has set a standard for workforce development that will benefit our students and our economy for years to come.”
The success since 2019 of an apprenticeship program with Kinston’s Crown Equipment led LCPS to expand work-based learning opportunities and, encouraged by Williams, to create Workforce Ignite Lenoir, which currently provides internships and pre-apprenticeships to more than 40 high school students.
In one of numerous partnerships with Lenoir Community College, Williams established the LEAP Scholars program, a teacher pipeline apprenticeship program allowing students to begin college coursework while in high school. Upon completion of their associate degree, LEAP Scholars get scholarship support to complete a bachelors degree at East Carolina University, work as teacher interns in LCPS classrooms and find a job with the school district upon graduation.
Recognizing the employment potential created by Fleet Readiness Center East’s expansion to the Global TransPark, Williams established a partnership with the organization that has already proved beneficial, providing students with access to the labs, support from FRC East Kenan Fellows teachers, robotics camp assistance and summer internships.
“You will not find a Superintendent who is more passionate about ensuring students have access to high-quality staff and experiences,” the award nomination reads. “He holds high expectations for his staff, while providing full support. His tireless work within the community, with business and industry, elected officials and workforce development proves he is a leader willing to roll up his sleeves and do the work necessary for positive outcomes.”
