Who are the local heroes of education?
In honor of its 30th anniversary, the Wake Education Partnership set out to recognize those who have made major contributions to local public education. The results are in, and you are invited to the celebration!
The Partnership has created the Wake County Public School System Hall of Fame, and will soon induct the inaugural class of honorees, which is comprised of former WCPSS students as well as system employees.
These honorees were nominated by the public in the categories of education, business, the arts, athletics, community service, and business entrepreneur.
“We are thrilled to introduce this new class to the community and are excited to announce the honorees of the program,” said Steve Parrott, Wake Education Partnership president. “In their own distinctive ways, these individuals have made significant contributions in promoting the excellence of educational efforts in the Wake County Public School System, and they deserve to be recognized for their efforts.”
The goal of the Wake Education Partnership is to help business leaders, elected officials and educators work toward increasing student performance, measured against world-class standards. Through its Building Leaders initiative, the work of the Partnership is funded exclusively by investments from the business community and from individuals who want to help children excel in the classroom.
The inaugural Wake County Public School System Hall of Fame inductees are:
Education: Bill McNeal, former WCPSS superintendent and National Superintendent of the Year
Business: Ann Goodnight, on behalf of SAS
Arts: Elizabeth Grimes-Droessler, WCPSS senior administrator of arts education
Athletics: David West, Garner Magnet High School graduate and current NBA player for the Indiana Pacers
Community Service: Sherry Worth, lifelong community leader
Entrepreneur: Zach Clayton, president and CEO of Three Ships Media
In addition to these honorees, the Partnership will also honor two individuals with Lifetime Achievement Awards as part of its 30th anniversary celebration. They are former Wake schools Superintendent Bob Bridges and Smedes York, chairman of York Properties.
The public is invited to join the Hall of Fame celebration, set for Thursday, Oct. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m., at Marbles Kids Museum, located at 201 E. Hargett St. in downtown Raleigh.
The evening will also feature entertainment by the Enloe Jazz Ensemble, a silent auction of public high school student art depicting Wake County landmarks, and a raffle for a sapphire and diamond necklace.
Tickets to the celebration are $75 each, or $50 for WCPSS educators with a valid WCPSS.net email address.
For more information, visit wakeedpartnership.org.
