Friday Institute Adds Three New Members to Advisory Board

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation’s advisory board has gained three new members this month, who were appointed by Friday Institute Executive Director and Associate Dean with the NC State College of Education Hiller A. Spires, Ph.D. This board is composed of leaders from schools, universities, businesses and the government who share a deep commitment to educational innovation. Board members meet annually to discuss the strategic directions of the Friday Institute as well as provide consultation and advice throughout the year. 

“Our new members are leaders in their fields and will bring a range of knowledge, experience and expertise to our Friday Institute advisory board,” said Spires. “With a strong, well-rounded group of advisers, I look forward to working together toward an even greater impact on education in our state and beyond.”

Learn more about these new board members below:

Dr. Anthony D. Jackson 
Superintendent, Vance County Schools

Anthony D. Jackson, Ed.D, has been the superintendent of Vance County Schools in Henderson, North Carolina, since 2015. His career in public education spans over 30 years, beginning as a teacher’s assistant and matriculating through the public school ranks as a music teacher, assistant principal, principal and various central office administrative posts in several Virginia and North Carolina school districts. Jackson is a 2017 Friday Medal recipient who was honored for his innovative leadership in improving students’ learning and implementing digital-age approaches to teaching and learning in his district.  In 2020, Jackson was named the North Carolina Superintendent of the Year. 

Ashlie Bucy
President at The Bucy Foundation

Ashlie has spent the last two decades sitting at the intersection of the technology startup, political and nonprofit communities. She has held executive roles as the deputy director at the North Carolina Business Committee for Education under Governor Cooper’s administration, the chief branding officer at Redgrave LLP and head of marketing and communications at TCDI. She has consulted with MyFutureNC and McKinsey & Company. Ashlie is co-founder and executive director of The Bucy Foundation, a Triangle startup focused on making unstructured sports more accessible to prepare young North Carolinians with the social intelligence and work ethic required for a changing world. She is the co-founder and former executive director of Dustin’s GreenHouse, an organization that provides the unique combination of global exposure and service-based learning opportunities for under-recognized students in North Carolina. Ashlie serves on the Board of Directors for the NC Institute of Political Leadership and is a member of the North Carolina Football Club’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a mother of three.

Dr. Catherine Edmonds
Deputy Director of Equity, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI)

Catherine Edmonds, Ed.D., recently joined NCDPI this year as deputy superintendent of the Office of Equity, where she ensures that the state’s education systems approach all decisions through an equity lens. She brings more than 28 years’ experience in public education in North Carolina at both the K-12 and higher education levels. Prior to serving as superintendent for Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools, she served as superintendent of Bertie County Schools, the director of educational leadership and development and director of the NC Principal Fellows Program at the University of North Carolina System. Prior to assuming a position in higher education, Edmonds had an extensive career in K-12 education on both the local and state level and was named Teacher of the Year for her school in 2001. Edmonds earned her Bachelor of Sciences in mathematics education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She holds a Masters of School Administration and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from NC State University.