Special to Iredell Free News

Pending approval by the Iredell-Statesville Board of Education later this month, Superintendent Jeff James has recommended Kathy Walker to serve as the principal of East Iredell Middle School.

“Kathy has been in multiple leadership roles in I-SS over the past 18 years. She has been instrumental in helping at multiple school sites,” James said. “It is easy to see the fit at East Middle, and we know she will continue the great work occurring at this school.”

Walker will begin her new position on August 5, 2020. She will replace Sheliah Burnette, who has accepted a position in a neighboring state.

A veteran educator, Walker has worked in education for 18 years in I-SS. She has served as a math teacher, an instructional facilitator, and an assistant principal. Most recently, she was an assistant principal at Statesville High School.

In 2019, Kathy Walker was selected by the N.C. Principals and Assistant Principals Association as the North Carolina Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year. She is also actively involved in her community, serving the Statesville Branch of the NAACP, the Crossroads of the Carolinas Toastmasters group, and the Statesville Community Theater.

Ms. Walker obtained her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Rutgers University. Prior to beginning her career in education, she was an analyst with Morgan Stanley Investment Management in New York. She earned a master’s degree in executive leadership studies from Gardner-Webb University.

“I have loved being a part of the Statesville community, since moving here post 9/11,” Walker said. “I am honored to have a continued role of service to the students, families and staff of East Middle. It will be a bit of a homecoming, as I’ve had the opportunity to be a Knight in the past, and I am excited to guide their way towards even greater success. For me, education is not only rooted in student
achievement, but even more strongly, in building relationships. As one of my favorite authors, Maya Angelou once said, ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ I look forward to the positive feelings of the dreamers and achievers of East Middle and continuing to be one of the adults who provides the tools
they need to fulfill those dreams.”