The North Carolina School Superintendents' Association (NCSSA) and the North Carolina Alliance for School Leadership Development (NCASLD) have announced the selection of Dr. Jennifer Reed, as a recipient of the Dr. Samuel Houston Leadership Award. This annual award is presented to a graduate of the North Carolina School Superintendents' Association Aspiring Superintendent Program, a program designed to empower transformational education leaders for North Carolina’s public schools.
The award is named in honor of Dr. Samuel Houston who is President and Chief Executive Officer of the North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center. Dr. Houston served as superintendent of the Mooresville Graded School District for ten years where he opened the first year-round school in North Carolina. Dr. Houston has been a champion for strategic planning, student performance and accountability, meeting the needs of the 21st-century workforce, skills for the STEM world, and building education partnerships. Dr. Houston also served as the first executive director of the University of North Carolina Center for Leadership Development.
Dr. Houston was awarded the Jay Robinson Leadership Award as an Exemplary Educator for his outstanding contributions to statewide public K–12 education. He also earned the RJR-Nabisco Foundation's China Breaker Award for implementing educational change. He has been inducted into the Appalachian State University Reich College of Education's Rhododendron Society and the East Carolina University's Education Hall of Fame and has received the Distinguished Career Award from the University of North Carolina – Greensboro School of Education.
Jack Hoke, Executive Director of the NCSSA said that Dr. Reed exemplifies the traits that have guided Dr. Samuel Houston's career in educational leadership. She has a commitment to continuous improvement, high standards of ethical conduct, strategic planning improving student performance, and meeting the needs of the 21st-century workforce.
Dr. Jennifer Reed is a dedicated and compassionate educator with over 20 years of experience. She has been a teacher, instructional coach, assistant principal, principal, and director in Buncombe County Schools. Most recently, in the fall of 2022, Dr. Reed was named Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction for Buncombe County Schools. Dr. Reed has served several local organizations such as United Way, Western Carolina University’s Principal Fellows Program, and Children First/Communities in Schools of Asheville-Buncombe County. She currently serves on the YMCA of Western North Carolina Board of Directors. She enjoys exercise, listening to music and spending time with her husband and two teenage boys. Her greatest joys are found in her faith, time with her family, and in serving the wonderful people of Buncombe County.
Buncombe County Schools Superintendent Dr. Rob Jackson shared, “Dr. Reed is, in her heart and in her actions, a teacher. Perhaps there is no greater compliment for an educational leader than to be recognized as a teacher first. Dr. Reed epitomizes a leader who is grounded in doing what is best for students through the lens of a teacher and parent. Her caring attitude and warm demeanor shine through her work and add to the strength of our school system. We are very proud of Dr. Reed, a graduate of our school system, who continues to pour into the lives of all she encounters.
Reed said of the award and the program, “I am incredibly honored and humbled to receive the Dr. Samuel Houston Leadership Award. This inspiring program has offered me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to closely examine my own leadership style while learning from exceptional Superintendents from across the state. What I love most about this program is that it centers excellence in educational leadership around a heart for students and a passion to do whatever it takes to ensure a bright future for each and every learner we serve.”