Pender County Schools announces administration changes at Penderlea School and Topsail High School.
Pender County Schools has announced a shift in administration roles at two district schools.
Effect on October 1, Dr. Susan Graziano, formerly principal at Penderlea School, will join the Topsail High administration team as an assistant principal. Topsail High assistant principal Fallon Fuller will transition to Penderlea School as the interim principal. Dr. Michael Bracy will serve as interim principal at Topsail High School as current principal Chris Madden steps down to pursue another opportunity.
“I am so excited about getting the chance to work with the students and staff at Penderlea School,” says Fuller, 2019-20 Pender County Schools Assistant Principal of the Year winner. “The Penderlea community has such a deep, proud history, and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to keep the growth going at the school until a permanent replacement is found.”
Fuller arrived in Pender County as an assistant principal in 2016, working at Pender High before moving to Topsail High. She previously taught math, health and physical education in Robeson County and holds a master’s in School Administration from UNC-Pembroke.
For Graziano, the decision to switch roles was based on a need for proximity to home and a desire to spend more time with her young family.
“I have loved my time leading Penderlea,” Graziano says. “This community has been so supportive, and while I am sad to step aside, I have to do what’s best for my family. This place is very special, and I’m proud to have had a small role in helping it perform at a high level.”
During a career that has covered more than three decades, Bracy has served in a variety of roles, starting as a teacher Southwestern Elementary in 1990. The Bertie High alumni went on to earn his doctorate from UNC Wilmington, serving as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, district administrator, NCDPI consultant and superintendent along the way. In December 2019, Bracy retired after serving as Jones County superintendent for more than a decade.
“Getting the chance to work in a school, directly with teachers and students, is something I’m extremely excited about,” Bracy says. “Education has been my passion for more than 30 years, but after serving in district-level administration, I’m really looking forward to being more hands on and helping our students grow daily and the staff help them in that process.”
Pender County Schools has begun the search for a permanent principal at Penderlea School and Topsail High School.
