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WINTON – The Hertford County Board of Education has appointed Tammi Ward as the district’s Interim Superintendent effective July 1.

Ward, who has served the school district as Assistant Superintendent for the past four years, succeeds Dr. William T. Wright, Jr. Wright spend over six years as HCPS Superintendent before taking a similar job at a larger school district in Sumter, SC.

“We look forward to working with Mrs. Ward as Interim Superintendent during this transition. We feel that her experience in Hertford County Schools will continue to lead the district in a positive direction,” stated Sheila Porter, chair of the Hertford County Board of Education.

“It is an honor to serve the Board of Education, HCPS employees, parents and students during this time of transition,” Ward said. “I look forward to working with all Hertford County Public School stakeholders in these next few months for a successful beginning to the 2022-23 school year.”

Ward was born and raised in Oklahoma where she completed her secondary education at Enid High School and holds a Bachelor’s degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Before beginning her career in public education, Ward worked in banking and manufacturing in the areas of office administration and human resources. During this time she completed an MBA at Old Dominion University.

Ward began her career in education in 1996 as a middle school CTE teacher. Since that time, she has served public schools in northeastern North Carolina in various roles ranging from classroom teacher, administration at middle and high school levels, and director positions in Career Technical Education and Human Resources.

Since July, 2018, Ward has served as Hertford County’s Assistant Superintendent with primary responsibility for curriculum and instruction, federal programs, and accountability.

In order to fulfill these roles in education, Ward has been committed to lifelong learning herself and acquired a MSA from East Carolina University, and EdS from Gardner-Webb University.

She is married to Kenny Ward, a native of Gates County, and is step-mother to Jennifer Hobbs and Ryan Ward, who are both married and reside in Gates County. In addition, they have a son, Zack and a daughter, Hannah. The family has four other very important members — grandchildren ranging from ages 15 to 3.

Mrs. Ward is an active member of Beulah Baptist Church and enjoys reading, going to the beach and college basketball.

As the Hertford County School district’s instructional leaders and central office personnel reflect on accountability data and this past year’s student performance, Ward will provide leadership and guidance that emphasizes professional development, initiatives, and an instructional environment that continues to grow HCPS staff and students. She emphasized there remains work to be done before the district can fully close the learning loss gaps created during the COVID pandemic.

All school site personnel, tutors, technology, transportation, child nutrition and maintenance will work with students to provide a safe and caring environment that allows students to engage in learning activities focused on literacy, math, writing, creativity and problem solving skills. Student services and other community partners will collaborate with teachers, students, and parents to improve social/emotional skills and meet other needs that will help ensure their success. Hertford County Public Schools number one priority will be preparing its graduates for further education, military or career choices in a globally competitive world.

“Now more than ever, our youth and community need safe and successful schools,” Ward noted. ‘The success of our schools is not a single responsibility of those inside the building. Academic success is accomplished through communities, parents, and our schools working together to ensure learning opportunities include relevance to the classroom, support and involvement from home, and highly qualified professionals. Together, we will make the 2022-23 school year a success.”