Cabarrus County Schools names Tonya Williams as Principal of the Year

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - Tonya Williams, principal of Concord Middle School, has been selected as the 2022-23 Cabarrus County Schools Principal of the Year. The Principal of the Year program is sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and Wells Fargo.

Cabarrus County Schools (CCS) Superintendent Dr. John Kopicki and Dr. Marion Bish, CCS Chief Human Resources Officer, surprised Williams with the announcement in front of her peers on October 25th.

“Cabarrus County Schools is an exceptional district with wonderful students, staff, families and community support,” said Williams, who began her career in CCS as a fourth-grade teacher in 2001 at Weddington Hills Elementary. “I am extremely honored to represent the amazing, hard-working principals of Cabarrus County Schools as the 2022-2023 Principal of the year.”

Williams has been the principal of Concord Middle School since January 2022. She served prior principalships at Harrisburg Elementary School from 2014-17 and most recently at W.M. Irvin Elementary from 2017-January 2021.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Appalachian State University and a master’s degree in elementary education from Gardner-Webb University. Williams received her certification as a curriculum specialist and her master’s in school administration from UNC Charlotte.

“Tonya Williams has been an integral part of Cabarrus County Schools since 2001,” said Weddington Hills Elementary Principal Chasity Dolan, the 2020-2021 CCS Principal of the Year. “As a teacher, lead teacher, assistant principal and principal within our school system, she works daily to cultivate and grow a love of learning in the students she supports in order to produce life-long learners.

“Tonya is a dedicated educator who has true care and concern for her students, her school, and her community. In addition, Tonya has a natural ability to connect with students and teachers. Her daily work centers around extending her educational reach in order to close the opportunity gap for her students and their families. She leads by example and is an outstanding role model for administrators in our district. Her peers confirm her exceptional qualities and utilize her work as an example for others to follow.”

Williams was nominated by her peers, and a selection panel comprised of former CCS Principals of the Year selected the winner based upon an interview and artifact presentation.

She will now move on to compete with other principals across the area for NCDPI Regional Principal of the Year. After the regional selection process is completed, one principal will be selected as the 2023 Wells Fargo Principal of the Year at a ceremony to be held in May 2023.