The Vance County Board of Education has approved Dr. Cindy Bennett as the new assistant superintendent of Student Services and Strategic Planning and Carnetta Thomas as the new principal of L.B. Yancey Elementary School.
Board members approved both appointments at their October 12 meeting.
Bennett has extensive experience in the field of education. Most recently she has been working as a national consultant and executive director of the Strategic Twin Counties Education Partnership serving Nash and Edgecombe counties. She has additional experience as a district transformation coach with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI) working with Warren County Schools from 2011 to 2012 and director of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology with N.C. DPI from 2008 to 2011. She served in several administrative positions, including associate superintendent of Curriculum and Instructional Services, with Whiteville City Schools from 1997 to 2008. Bennett has worked in education since 1983 and was a teacher in grades 3-8 in Whiteville City Schools and Lake Waccamaw.
Thomas succeeds Clarence Hicks as the principal of L.B. Yancey Elementary School. She has served as the assistant principal at Zeb Vance Elementary for the past two years and was interim principal for the school from this summer until October 1. Prior to assuming the administrative positions at Zeb Vance, Thomas was the assistant principal for one year at Pinkston Street Elementary School. She has been in education for 14 years all with Vance County Schools. She began her career as a teacher at Pinkston Street Elementary in August of 2001.