Leadership and Committees
The North Carolina Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is the organization that unites teacher educators in both public and private colleges and universities, staff and faculty in state created initiatives and consortia, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. NCACTE is the lead advocacy group for policy issues regarding teacher preparation in North Carolina.
Elected Officers
Heather Bower
President Meredith College
Dr. Heather Bower is currently a serving as the Education Department Chair and Coordinator of Assessment and teaches in both the undergraduate and graduate education programs. Bower completed her Doctorate and MSA from UNC Chapel Hill and has a background as both a classroom teacher and administrator, having taught grades 7-12 Language Arts and AVID and served as the College Access Programs Coordinator in a large, public school system. In these positions, she taught all levels of students and helped to create, implement, and monitor programs for students in grades 4-12, along with their families and teachers. Bower’s recent research focuses on family involvement and school culture, particularly as it pertains to teacher identity and school reform, and classroom and behavior management.
Brad Smith
President Elect UNC, Chapel Hill
Dr. Brad Smith is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Organizational Learning and Leadership at the UNC School of Education. In addition to teaching and mentoring students, his nearly two decades as an educator have included responsibilities in academic program assessment and improvement, higher education reporting and accreditation, strategic planning, large-scale graduate program administration, program design, and professional educator licensure. A lifelong North Carolina resident, Dr. Smith began his education career teaching high school social studies in NC public schools before spending over 12 years in the Cato College of Education at UNC Charlotte. In addition to his role as President Elect, Dr. Smith serves as the NCACTE Advocacy and Policy Chair.
Diana Lys
Past PresidentUNC Chapel Hill
Christina O'Connor
Treasurer UNC Greensboro
Hannah Reeder
SecretaryAppalachian State University
Join a Working Committee
We would love to have you join our work! If you are interested in serving on a working committee, please contact us and someone will be in touch soon.
