2025 North Carolina Education Innovation Lab Program – Speakers

Meet Our Speakers

Gabrielle Barnes

Director of Regional Initiatives and Programs, Teach.org

Gab Barnes is the Director of Regional Initiatives at TEACH—a nonprofit with a mission to end the teacher shortage by elevating the perception of the teaching profession and supporting future educators on their path to licensure. Prior to this role, Gab was the Senior Regional Program Manager of TeachNC where she worked closely with North Carolina teacher prep programs, school districts, and community organizations to support teacher recruitment. Prior to her time at TEACH, Gab had 10+ year career in college access with a focus on supporting first-generation college students. With a passion for education equity and a knack for building connections and creating capacity, Gab is known for bringing people together to create impactful programs that ensure everyone has access to opportunity.

She holds a Master’s of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a BA in Psychology from NC State University (#GoPack)! Outside of work, you can find her enjoying the outdoors and attending sporting events with her husband and three boys!

Brenda Berg

President & CEO, BEST NC

Brenda’s passion for education stems from her own experience as a first-generation college graduate. With two children in North Carolina public schools, she is driven by the belief that every child should have access to a great education.

Brenda is the President & CEO of BEST NC (Business for Educational Success and Transformation NC), a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of over 100 business leaders with a focus on making education in North Carolina the best in the nation.  Through policy and advocacy, BEST NC strives to ensure that every student in North Carolina will graduate with the knowledge, skills and behaviors to succeed in a competitive global economy.

With over twenty-five years of experience as a business owner, public policy professional and education advocate, Brenda leads the overall BEST NC vison, strategy, and operations while leveraging her expertise to be the business-to-education bridge in BEST NC’s work to transform education in North Carolina. In 2002, she founded Scandinavian Child, a baby products manufacturing and importing business. Prior to founding her business, she had almost ten years of public policy experience in both education and transportation policy and programs. She serves on various boards and education organizations, including the Kenan Fellows Program, the Institute for Political Leadership, and the NC Community College Foundation. Brenda has a B.A. in Economics and a Master’s degree in Public Policy, both from Georgetown University.

Dr. Felicia Brown

Director of Human Resources, Wayne County Public Schools

Dr. Felicia Brown is a dedicated and accomplished educational leader with a strong background in human resources, leadership development, and school administration. Throughout Dr. Brown’s career in public education, she has been instrumental in shaping and supporting school communities through strategic leadership and talent development.

For the past seven years, Dr. Brown has served as the Director of Human Resources at Wayne County Public Schools, where she has led initiatives to recruit, retain, and develop top-tier educators and staff. Her leadership has strengthened the district’s workforce, fostering a positive and productive environment for both employees and students.

Prior to her tenure in Wayne County, Dr. Brown held several key leadership positions in Duplin County Schools, including Executive Director, Chief Officer, and Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Leadership Development. In these roles, she played a vital part in shaping district policies, overseeing professional development programs, and ensuring effective HR operations.

Leah Carper

Director of Stakeholder Engagement, Guilford County Schools

Leah Carper, the 2022 North Carolina State Teacher of the Year, is a dynamic and innovative English II teacher at Northern Guilford High School in Greensboro, North Carolina who utilizes her curriculum to not only teach the skills and standards of the course, but also to teach her students how to be empathetic, contributing members of a global community.

She earned an Associate of Arts degree from Davidson County Community College, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary English Education from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a Master of Arts degree in Education Leadership from Queens University of Charlotte.

She has served and continues to serve on various state commissions and as state teacher of the year, Carper serves as an advisor to the North Carolina State Board of Education. Carper has earned many awards in her career including the Guilford County Schools Rookie Teacher of the Year Award in 2007, the 2018 and 2020 Guilford County Schools PTA Outstanding High School Educator Award, the 2021 Guilford County Schools Teacher of the Year, and also holds the record as the only 3-time Northern Guilford High School Dancing with the Faculty Winner.

She has been married since 2005 and is the proud mother of three children who are all students in NC public schools. She enjoys volunteering, singing karaoke, and roller skating. She utilizes social media to share teaching ideas and strategies that work in the modern classroom. Many of her posts have been featured in national and international educational publications.

David Donaldson

Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, SAS Institute

David was the lead author on the approved application by the U.S. Department of Labor to federally recognize the “K-12 teacher” and “K-12 principal” occupation as eligible for registered apprenticeship. His "Grow Your Own" and registered apprenticeship in teaching work in Tennessee was recognized by The White House, U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor.

Previously, David served as the Chief of Human Capital at the Tennessee Department of Education. He has been a teacher in Baltimore, principal in Detroit and administrator in New York City.

His goal is to create a world where an aspiring educator can become a teacher for free and get paid to do so.

Eugenia Floyd

Teacher, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

Ms. Eugenia Floyd has been teaching fourth grade for eight years at Mary Scroggs Elementary School, located in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Following graduation, she became a teacher assistant for fourth grade at Morris Grove Elementary School. Her time assisting in the classroom played a great role in her making the decision to obtain her teaching license. Ms. Floyd completed her K-6 teacher certification at North Carolina Central University in 2013.

Since the start of her teaching career, Ms. Floyd’s personal experiences in school have played a pivotal role in her teaching philosophy. She truly believes that every student can learn and having high expectations of her students is vital to their academic growth. Ms. Floyd’s teaching philosophy and high expectations are evident in her student data and within her classroom atmosphere. She doesn’t just expect her students to grow, but she also has this expectation for herself. When her district partnered with Elon University to assist a cohort of teachers in earning a gifted certification, Ms. Floyd jumped at the opportunity to grow in her craft. After obtaining her certification from the program, she continued on to graduate with a Master’s degree in Gifted Education in 2020 from Elon. Ms. Eugenia Floyd is now the 2021 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Lauren Lampron

Director, North Carolina Principals Fellow Program

Dr. Lauren A. Lampron is most passionate about advancing leadership excellence within North Carolina’s schools. With experience spanning secondary education, school administration, graduate-level instruction, curriculum development, community involvement, and leadership coaching, she is devoted to cultivating the next generation of transformative educational leaders. Her role as the Director of the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program reflects her deep commitment to empowering school leaders to create impactful learning environments that benefit all students.

As a first generation college student, Dr. Lampron earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from West Chester University and completed her teaching credentials through East Carolina University. She also holds a Master of School Administration and a Doctor of Education degree from North Carolina State University. Her dedication to education is rooted in a belief that strong leadership has the power to impact entire communities and drive meaningful change.

John Loyack

Vice President of Economic Development, North Carolina Community College System

John Loyack is the Vice President of Economic Development for the North Carolina Community College System. In this role, Loyack leads the operation of the Economic Development Division, which includes ApprenticeshipNC, BioNetwork, Customized Training, and the Small Business Center Network. The Economic Development team provides education, training, and support services for new, expanding, and existing business and industry in all 100 North Carolina counties through our network of 58 community colleges.

Before joining the System, Loyack worked for the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and the North Carolina Department of Commerce as well as with companies like MercuryMD, Thomson Reuters, Time Warner, and Esteve Laboratories. Loyack earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Spanish from Gettysburg College and holds an MBA in International Business Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. In addition, to being Chair of the Board of Go Global NC, he also is a member of the NC Apprenticeship Council and the NC MEP Advisory Board.

Walter McDowell

Board Chair, BEST NC

Walter has been the Board Chair for BEST NC since May of 2013. Walter worked for Wachovia Corporation from 1973 to 2007. His last assignment was CEO for Carolinas/Virginia Banking with 7,500 employees and 685 locations.

From August 2008 until January of 2012, Walter was the Chairman of the Community Education Collaborative, a collaboration of the Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County Schools, the United Way and 30 not-for-profits that intervened with 4,000 at-risk students each school year.

Walter is also a Board Member of Bassett Furniture Company, Vaughn Bassett, Bassett Mirror, the Research Triangle Foundation, the Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, the Winston-Salem Alliance and the WSSU Foundation. He is a former Board Member of the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond.

Dr. Kelly Anne Mudd

Principal, Martin Millennium Academy, Edgecombe County Public Schools

Kelly Anne earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Maryland in College Park, MD and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from East Carolina University. She joined Teach for America and worked in eastern North Carolina. She worked as an Exceptional Children’s educator in Rocky Mount and in Henderson, NC. She has also been a Comprehensive Exceptional Children’s Accountability Systems (CECAS) trainer as well. She was selected as the Eaton-Johnson Middle School Teacher of the Year for the 2010-2011 school year. Kelly Anne completed an administrative internship at Southern Nash Middle School and was an Assistant Principal at Nash Central Middle School from 2013 to 2015. Kelly Anne was Principal of Spring Hope Elementary School from 2015 to 2018. She is currently serving as Principal of Martin Millennium Academy.

Jenn Schiess

Senior Partner & Policy and Evaluation Practice Leader, Bellwether Education Partners

Jennifer O’Neal Schiess is a partner on the Policy and Evaluation team. Since 2014, she has worked with a range of clients, including national and state advocacy organizations, nonprofits, policy think tanks, and foundations. She advises clients on state and national education policy, covering a range of topics. Jennifer has led work on personalized learning, school finance, school transportation, rural education, and governance.

Prior to joining Bellwether, Jenn served in a nonpartisan role as a senior adviser to the Texas Legislature on the state’s public education budget and school finance. In that role, she engaged deeply on the fiscal and policy implications of all education-related legislation moving through the legislative process. During her 10-year tenure, she provided advising and analysis on major legislation related to school finance; standards, assessment, and accountability; charter schools; educator compensation, pension, and benefits; and other topics.

Before her time in Texas, she worked in university and governmental relations for Vanderbilt University, and taught English in the Metro Nashville Public Schools for several years. Jenn holds a master’s in public policy from Duke University and a master’s in education from Vanderbilt University. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her family, including two public school students.

Maureen Stover

Vice President of Policy & Engagement, BEST NC

Maureen’s dedication to improving the educational opportunities for all students through equitable education initiatives is what led her to BEST NC following a successful career as an educator. As a former science teacher, she was the 2020 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year (NCTOY), a 2021 National Teacher of the Year finalist, and a 2022 National Educators Association California Casualty Excellence in Teaching awardee. Maureen has taught at the elementary, middle and high school levels and worked as an educational consultant for the National Science Teaching Association. During that time, she taught biology, earth and environmental science, and advancement via individual determination (AVID) at Cumberland International Early College High School in Cumberland County, North Carolina.

Maureen earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from the United States Air Force Academy, Class of 1997, a Master of Arts Education in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from Adams State University in Colorado, a Master of Arts in Teaching in secondary science from Western Governors University North Carolina, and a Leadership Certificate in STEM education from Teachers College Columbia University. Prior to becoming a teacher, she served as an Intelligence Officer in the United States Air Force.

Leah Sutton

Director of Advanced Teaching Roles, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

Leah Sutton is the Advanced Teaching Roles Program Lead at the NC Department of Public Instruction. Prior to joining the Department, Leah was Vice President of Policy & Engagement for BEST NC where she helped champion the state’s Advanced Teaching Roles program and other Educator Innovation priorities, including TeachNC and the NC Principal Fellows Program. Leah is a native of eastern North Carolina and began her career as a public-school teacher.

Dr. Tom Tomberlin

Senior Director of the Office of Educator Preparation and Licensure, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

Dr. Tom Tomberlin began his career in education as a Latin and Greek instructor at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. He then moved to North Carolina where he taught high school Latin in Guilford County Schools. Tom left the classroom to pursue a doctorate in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where he focused on issues of teacher quality and instructional improvement, integrating technology into instruction, and program evaluation. Tom has worked for HGSE as a statistical support specialist, and a strategic data fellow in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). He now works for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as the Senior Director of the Office of Educator Preparation and Licensure, collaborating with state, district, and local leaders on developing measures of educator effectiveness and opportunities for professional growth and development.

Rep. David Willis

N.C. House District 68; Chair, Education Appropriations & Education K-12 Committees

Selected by the North Carolina General Assembly Speaker of the House David Willis was appointed to serve on the following standing committees for the 2021-2022 legislative biennium: Appropriations Committee, Appropriations – Education, Education – K-12, (Vice-Chairman), Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform Committee, Transportations Committee, and Judiciary 4.

As a Freshman member of the House of Representatives and Leader of the Freshman Caucus, Representative David Willis has hit the ground running. Aspiring to provide laws that will benefit families David is fighting to provide adequate resources for public schools and students, improving local roads and infrastructure, helping businesses grow, improving the state government services for our citizens, keeping taxes low, reducing wasteful spending, and expanding career and workforce development.

Sponsoring several Bills has kept David busy at the General Assembly in the short time since being sworn into office in January of 2021. As Freshman Caucus Leader Representative Willis is committed to help strengthen and grow the Freshman members.

Representative Willis’ local and public service includes serving on the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges until becoming a House Representative. He serves on the Union County Fellowship of Christian Athletes Board. He is a parent of three students in the Union County Public Schools. And he has been a member of the Parent Teacher Association Board. He is heavily involved in the Weddington Rotary Club where he served as Youth Services chair of Waxhaw.