Meet Wake’s 2023 Principal of the Year. She’s empowering the staff at her school.
Winston Pierce is the Wake County school system’s 2023-24 Principal of the Year, and Lessie Anderson is the Assistant Principal of the Year.
The winners were announced Thursday night at a ceremony in Raleigh at the Angus Barn, one of the event’s sponsors.
Pierce has been principal of Farmington Woods Elementary School in Cary since 2010. She has been a finalist multiple times for Principal of the Year, including in 2022 when Annice Williams of Bugg Elementary School won.
District leaders pointed to how Pierce empowers her staff. Each member of her staff participates in one of five leadership teams that make school improvement decisions.
“In addition to formal structures to value staff voice and trust in decision making, celebrations permeate our school culture to share respect for staff dedication and commitment,” Pierce said in her Principal of the Year portfolio. “These celebrations communicate respect from administration, colleagues and school families for all that the school staff do each day to value learning and focus on student success.”
Pearce has worked in Wake County for more than 30 years, including the last 13 years at Farmington Woods. In 2018, Farmington Woods received Magnet School of America’s Elementary Magnet School of Merit Award, given annually to the nation’s top elementary magnet school.
Prior to that, Pearce served as principal of Wendell Elementary and assistant principal of Millbrook Elementary in Raleigh..
Pierce holds master’s degrees in both Principal Fellowship and Early Childhood Education from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Pierce will receive a prize package that includes a $1,000 check. She will compete in North Carolina’s Principal of the Year program.
This year’s other Wake Principal of the Year finalists were:
▪ Melody Brunson of Sycamore Creek Elementary in Raleigh
▪ Nolan Bryant of Cary High
▪ Jesenia Hafner of Forestville Road Elementary in Knightdale
▪ Mariah Walker of the Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Raleigh
Assistant Principal of the Year
Lessie Anderson, an assistant principal at Willow Spring High School, was also a finalist last year for Assistant Principal of the Year.
Anderson has worked in the district for 10 years and been an assistant principal at Willow Spring since 2021. Prior to that, Anderson was an assistant principal at Middle Creek High School, an instructional coach, and a math teacher at Knightdale High School.
The district cited Anderson’s efforts to create a school culture of trust and mutual respect among students, teachers and administrators. This involves meaningful community engagement and frequent communication with members of the school community.
“Trust within a school does not happen by chance,” Anderson said in her Assistant Principal of the Year portfolio. “Nor does it look the same to everyone. Whether that means keeping promises or being consistent, I’m very intentional in my actions. As both the students and staff say, I move with purpose!”
Anderson holds a master’s degree in secondary mathematics education from UNC-Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in business administration from East Carolina University. She also earned a post-master’s certificate in school administration from the UNC-Greensboro.
Anderson will receive a prize package that includes a $500 check.
The other finalists for Assistant Principal of the Year were:
▪ Kristen McCollum of Millbrook Elementary in Raleigh
▪ Molly Miller of Salem Elementary in Apex
▪ Melissa Oliver of Alston Ridge Elementary in Cary
▪ Sheree Smalls of River Bend Middle in Raleigh
