The incoming Superintendent Catherine Trui4 announced new hires to her staff at the Department of Public Instruction. The new hires include experienced education professionals who will serve as deputies, directors, and assistants. Trui4 said the new staff will be pivotal in advancing student outcomes and opportunities in North Carolina. State Board leaders Eric Davis and Alan Duncan congratulated Trui4 on recruiting talented professionals and looked forward to collaborating with the new DPI team.

1. Incoming Superintendent Catherine Trui4 Announces New Hires to DPI Staff
Staff will be part of Trui1’s team as she prepares the department for new leadership
and a new vision
Raleigh, N.C. – Today the incoming State Superintendent for Public Instruc?on, Catherine Trui@,
announced a first wave of ini?al hires who will be essen?al to the opera?on and success of the
Department of Public Instruc?on (DPI). Trui@ issued the following statement about the new team
members alongside State Board leadership Eric Davis and Alan Duncan.
Quote from Catherine Trui0, Superintendent-Elect for Public Instruc=on
“I have sought to surround myself with the best of the best because our students, our teachers,
and school personnel in this state deserve nothing but that. Each of these individuals are
tremendously talented in their respecAve fields and will be pivotal to advancing outcomes and
opportuniAes for students here in North Carolina,” said Trui4. “Their experience, their leadership,
and their passion for public educaAon will be criAcal to supporAng a student-centered
Department of Public InstrucAon that values the educator’s voice while speaking as a united
front with the State Board.”
Quote from Eric Davis, Chairman of the N.C. State Board of Educa=on
“On behalf of my colleagues on the State Board, congratulaAons to Superintendent-Elect Trui1
on recruiAng these talented professionals to join the hard working and dedicated educators in
DPI. A1racAng talent is a hallmark of a strong leader and a first step in creaAng an even stronger
team to serve North Carolina students. The State Board looks forward to working together as one
team with Superintendent-Elect Trui1 and the educaAon professionals in DPI in raising the
academic achievement of all North Carolina public school students.”
Quote from Alan Duncan, Vice-Chairman of the N.C. State Board of Educa=on
“Eric Davis and I, on behalf of the State Board of EducaAon, have valued the opportunity to learn
about the vision that Catherine Trui1 is bringing to the posiAon of State Superintendent of
InstrucAon. An indicator of the commitment that is being made to our students and educators
statewide is reflected in the high quality and experience of the staff members that are being
announced today. The State Board looks forward to collaboraAng with the State Superintendent
Elect and these new staff members to the Department of Public of InstrucAon who will join with
the many dedicated employees already working at the Department to further strengthen criAcal
support for our schools.”
STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Shelby Armentrout: Shelby will join DPI as Chief of Staff. She is an educa?on policy specialist with
experience advising and developing educa?on policy at both the execu?ve and legisla?ve levels of
government here in North Carolina. As Educa?on Policy Advisor to the Speaker of the North Carolina
House of Representa?ves, she led research efforts on policy proposals aimed at suppor?ng teachers,
administrators and students. Most recently, she served as the Director of Government Rela?ons at
Western Governors University, where she focused on expanding access and crea?ng new opportuni?es
in higher educa?on for working adults. Throughout her career, she has supported state leaders to

2. advocate for reducing barriers to educa?on and increasing equity across the system. Shelby holds a BA in
poli?cal science and history from UNC Chapel Hill.
Dr. Catherine Edmonds: Catherine will join DPI as Deputy Superintendent of the Office of Equity. She
brings more than 28 years’ experience in public educa?on here in North Carolina at both the K-12 and
higher educa?on level. Prior to serving as superintendent for Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools,
she served as the Director of Educa?onal Leadership and Development and Director of the NC Principal
Fellows Program for the state, located at the University of North Carolina System. Prior to assuming a
posi?on in higher educa?on, Catherine had an extensive career in K-12 space on both the local and state
level and was named Teacher of the Year in 2001. She holds a BS degree in Mathema?cs Educa?on from
NC A&T, obtained her Master of Administra?on and Supervision at NC State University (NCSU) and later
received her Doctorate in Educa?onal Leadership from NCSU as well. In this new role at DPI, Catherine
will work to ensure that our educa?on systems approach all decisions through an equity lens. She will
work closely with the Execu?ve Director of Leandro, Dr. Beverly Emory, to enact the recommenda?ons of
the WestEd report.
Jamey Falkenbury: Jamey will join DPI as the Director of Government and Community Affairs. Jamey
earned his undergraduate degree from Elon University in poli?cal science with a minor in public
administra?on and later earned his MBA from The Citadel. A proud son of a reading specialist with more
than 35 years of teaching, including Cabarrus County, and the brother to a current public school history
teacher in Rowan County, Jamey comes to DPI with more than decade of educa?on policy experience
both at the federal and state level.
Dr. Derrick D. Jordan: Derrick will join DPI as Assistant Superintendent of Agency Schools. A veteran
educator, Derrick joins the team with over 20 years’ experience. Throughout this career, he has
advocated for students from inside the classroom, priori?zed teachers through his ?me as a principal,
and supported a growing school district in serving as a senior-level administrator. As the Superintendent
for Chatham County Schools since 2013, Derrick was recognized for his work and named Regional
Superintendent of the Year for the Piedmont-Triad Region in 2018. Derrick is a part-?me clinical associate
professor at UNC Chapel Hill in the School of Educa?on. He is a proud graduate of North Carolina Central
University, received his Master of School Administra?on from East Carolina University and later acquired
his Doctorate in Educa?onal Leadership from UNC Chapel Hill. Derrick’s poreolio will include the N.C.
Schools for the Deaf in Morganton and Wilson, the Lab Schools, The Governor Morehead School for the
Blind, and the Innova?ve School District and alterna?ve schools.
Julie Pi4man: Julie will join DPI as the Special Assistant to the Superintendent: Educator Engagement. A
23-year educator, Julie has been a high school English teacher in Rutherford County Schools since 2003
and was named the 2018 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Western Region N.C. Teacher of the Year. For the
last two years, she has been a teacher on loan to No Kid Hungry, serving as the Educa?on Outreach
Manager in North Carolina. Julie holds a Master of Arts from UNC Chapel Hill and is a Na?onal Board
Cer?fied Teacher. She serves as a Governor Cooper appointee to the N.C Center for the Advancement of
Teaching board of trustees, is a member of the N.C. Hispanic/La?nX Ac?on Coali?on, and a board
member of American Friends of the Bajio. Julie has worked in rural and urban N.C. public school districts
to develop educator advocacy and teacher leadership opportuni?es. In this newly-created posi?on, Julie
will work to lii up educators’ voices, as well as other educa?on stakeholders, to the Department as well
as the legislature. Her weekly school visits will serve as a source of feedback from those in the trenches
who are serving our students daily.

3. Blair Ellis Rhoades: Blair will join DPI as Communica?ons Director. She is a communica?ons and public
rela?ons professional with nearly a decade of experience working on high-profile poli?cal and
communica?ons campaigns. While working in Washington, DC, she served as an on-record
spokeswoman for elected officials, advised federal and state level officials on messaging, and created
strategic communica?on plans on public policy and issue advocacy ma@ers. Blair is well-versed in
message development, communica?ons planning, rapid response and crisis management, media
rela?ons and earned media strategies across digital and tradi?onal plaeorms. She is a graduate of the
Hussman School of Journalism and Media at UNC Chapel Hill and a proud daughter of a public school
teacher who re?red aier 31.5 years with the state.
Dr. Robert Taylor: Dr. Robert Taylor will join DPI as the Deputy Superintendent of Student and School
Advancement. Robert began his 10th year as Superintendent with the Bladen County School District in
July and in 2018, he was awarded the N.C. Alliance for Athle?cs, Health, Physical Educa?on, Recrea?on,
Dance and Sport Management Superintendent of the Year. Prior to his role with Bladen County, Robert
was the assistant superintendent for Clinton City Schools from 2003 to 2011. A 1990 graduate of the
University of Southern Mississippi, he earned his bachelor’s in history and poli?cal science before
earning a Master of School Administra?on from Faye@eville State University (FSU) and later his
Doctorate in Educa?onal Leadership in 2009. Robert is an ac?ve member on mul?ple boards within the
state – serving on advisory councils at both FSU and UNC Pembroke.
KrisLe VanAuken: Kris?e will join DPI as the Special Assistant to the Superintendent: Workforce
Engagement. With more than two decades of leadership experience in the public/nonprofit sector,
Kris?e is first and foremost a facilitator. Most recently as Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement for
Research Triangle Park (RTP), she connected blue chip companies to the Founda?on and to each other.
Kris?e facilitated the Owners and Tenants Associa?on and the Service District Advisory Commi@ee,
helping to a@ract new resources to support STEM educa?on, diversity, communica?on and the
environment. Kris?e was also the chief economic development representa?ve for RTP. She is a member
of the PTSA Board at Panther Creek High School, serving as their nomina?on chair and also serves on the
board of the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce. Kris?e will focus on bolstering the connec?ons between
K-12 educa?on and post-secondary pathways for students. She will liaise with businesses, community
colleges, and MyFutureNC, the state’s workforce and educa?on a@ainment goal.