Administrative Hires and Shifts

Alexander County School Superintendent Dr. Bill Griffin announces several new hires and shifts as the district gets ready for the 2025-26 school year. Brian Lewis, CTE Director in Caldwell County Schools, will be the principal at Alexander Central High School. Jennifer Miller, assistant principal at Alexander Central High School will lead at Ellendale Elementary, and Dina-Marie Spataro from Iredell-Statesville Schools will be at Hiddenite Elementary. Dawn Leary from Hickory City Schools will be the principal at Sugar Loaf Elementary and Joe Mabry is moving from Sugar Loaf to be the ACS Transportation Director.

Alexander Central High School

Brian Lewis has worked with Alexander County on a couple of occasions, three years in the Career and Technical Education Department and nine as an Assistant Principal at ACHS. He’s a former math and business and marketing teacher who also has an electrical contracting license. 

Lewis says he’s pleased to be coming home. 

“Alexander County and Alexander Central have always been about excellence, tradition, and a wonderful sense of community, and I'm so grateful for the chance to help continue that legacy,” says Lewis.

He pointed out that he will work alongside those who have worked to make the community and school strong.

"Having worked in Alexander County before, I've been so fortunate to serve with some truly amazing educators and strong leaders. I'll definitely be leaning on those valuable experiences as we move forward, all with the goal of making Alexander Central the very best and safest place for our students to learn and truly thrive,” adds Lewis.

Lewis has spent more than 25 years in public education.

Ellendale Elementary School

Jennifer Miller is a former math teacher who began in Alexander County as an instructional coach at Wittenburg Elementary. As a coach she worked with teachers on analyzing their test scores and matching their pacing of lessons with the state curriculum. She’s also worked with MTSS, an effort to reach all students at their level. Miller has also served as an assistant principal at East Alexander and Alexander Central.

With more than 28 years in education, Miller says she understands the foundational pieces that an elementary school can give students.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work at all levels, so I’m able to see a vertical alignment in practice,” says Miller. 

Miller is also on the district’s team that is looking to incorporate pieces of artificial intelligence (AI) into teaching and learning.

“I look forward to helping the students get 21st century skills with AI technology. We want their pursuits to be on the right pathway toward success in high school and beyond,” says Miller.

Hiddenite Elementary School

For Dina-Marie Spataro, she’s pleased to join the Alexander County Schools as Hiddenite’s principal.

“I really loved the small town feel of the area. And then when I started to explore through social media and websites, I thought that Alexander County felt like it had a family feel to the community,” says Spataro. 

She’s worked in education for nearly 30 years and believes her background as a literacy coach and MTSS coordinator will be an asset.

“I’m really excited to become a part of the Hiddenite family and getting to know the families and building relationships with the community, families and students,” says Spataro. 

Sugar Loaf Elementary School

At Sugar Loaf, a one-time ACS teacher will return to the county as principal.  Dawn Leary currently serves as an assistant principal at Viewmont Elementary but prior to that she worked as an exceptional children’s teacher at East Alexander Middle School. Her experience also includes elementary teaching in Ohio and North Carolina. 

“It’s a privilege to be part of a district that values academic excellence, community engagement and the growth of every child,” says Leary.

Leary has more than 25 years of experience in public education.

She says she looks forward to working with the Sugar Loaf community, “as we work together to create a safe, supportive, and high-achieving learning environment.”

ACS Transportation Director

Sugar Loaf Principal Joe Mabry will move into district administration in the new year as the Transportation Director. The department has seen big changes in the past two years including an App where parents can follow the bus routes to help them know the time of the stops. Transportation Director Jami Trojanowski has also been credited with trimming routes, which saved the district money and getting more buses with stop arms and improved cameras on buses. 

Mabry says he will work for even more progress.

“It’s exciting to continue the work that’s been done the last several years in the transportation department and to work with the staff and the school-level staff to meet the needs of students and families,” says Mabry.

As principal, Mabry often hopped on a Sugar Loaf bus when the school was short on drivers. 

“When I was a teacher during the summers I washed buses. That experience opened up some different possibilities for me. It’s a way for me to continue to develop my skill set and work within the county as a whole,” says Mabry.

As announced on May 7th, Jacob Lail, the current principal at ACHS, will move into district administration and Amy Daigle will move from Hiddenite to West Alexander at the close of the school year. Former principal Janel Lingle has been working as the interim at EES after  Katie Nash left in March for a position outside of education. Transportation Director Jami Trojanowski is retiring at the end of the year.

Each of the new positions take effect July 1st.

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