WINDSOR – The Bertie County Board of Education announces that Dr. Del Burns has been hired to serve as the Temporary Superintendent for Bertie County Schools.

The Board made the hire during a special called meeting on Thursday of last week. He will fill in while the Bertie School Board seeks a permanent replacement for Dr. Stephen Hill, who announced his resignation last month.

Dr. Burns was scheduled to begin his temporary duties in Bertie County yesterday (Monday, Sept. 18). His contract with the county calls for him to work until Jan. 31 of next year. 

Dr. Burns spent 24 years in Wake County Public Schools as a special education teacher, assistant principal and principal. These teaching and school leadership roles were followed by 10 years of service as the associate superintendent, deputy superintendent and superintendent, also for Wake County Public Schools.

In 2011, he became President and CEO of the Burns Alliance, Inc., which provides consulting services to large and small public school districts in rural and urban areas across several states.

Burns Alliance provides transition and strategic executive coaching, mentoring, training and support for superintendents, district senior leaders, principals, assistant principals and teacher leaders in several states.

Also, beginning in 2011, Dr. Burns began to serve in a variety of consecutive interim superintendent roles, providing support for school districts that were experiencing transitions in leadership. The school districts he has served as interim include Orange County Schools, Alamance-Burlington School System and Edgecombe County Schools.

“Dr. Burns has considerable experience as a superintendent. He will be a no-nonsense leader for Bertie County Schools,” said Bobby Occena, Chairman of the Bertie County Board of Education. “He will set the pace for the next permanent superintendent.”

Board Vice-Chair Barry McGlone said that Dr. Burns was chosen because of his knowledge and experience.

“He will be a team player, and I was very impressed with his being able to utilize the resources around him to make effective changes,” McGlone noted.

Less than a year on the job, Dr. Hill submitted his resignation as Bertie Schools Superintendent during a special called meeting of the Board of Education on Aug. 29. It was noted he was leaving to accept a similar position in Pender County.