HAMLET — Richmond County Schools officially has a new superintendent.
Dr. Joe Ferrell was sworn in to the new position Monday morning at the Central Office boardroom, with the oath administered by Clerk of Superior Court Vickie Daniel.
His daughter, Brooke, held the Bible as he took the oath.
According to a press release, Ferrell “expressed gratitude to the board and excitement to lead this community” as superintendent.
Ferrell has been working in public education in North Carolina for 25 years, starting as a fifth-grade teacher in Roxboro before becoming an assistant principal in Person County Schools.
Ferrell then worked as an elementary and middle school principal in Guilford County for nearly a decade, followed by a five-year stint as principal of Williams High School in Burlington.
He then moved up the administrative ladder, serving as executive director of secondary education for the Burlington-Alamance system and took the reins as superintendent in Camden County in 2017.
While heading up Camden County Schools, Ferrell has “led initiatives that increased CTE programming and participation and facilitated the school system receiving a $50 million grant to build a replacement high school, as well as implementing a wide range of safety and security strategies to meet the district’s goal of overall safety and security in the school system,” the release states.
Ferrell obtained his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Elon University, earned a master’s in school administration from N.C. State University and his doctorate in educational leadership from UNC-Greensboro.
The Board of Education announced Ferrell’s hiring on Jan. 3.
“Richmond County Schools is delighted to have Dr. Joe Ferrell serve our students, staff, and community as superintendent,” reads a press release.
A public meet-and-greet is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15 at Cole Auditorium.
Retired educator and administrator Dennis Quick had been serving as interim superintendent since the retirement of Dr. Jeff Maples on July 31, 2022. Quick’s last day was Friday, Feb. 10.