Pender County superintendent in running for North Carolina Superintendent of the Year
BURGAW, NC (WWAY) — Pender County Schools Superintendent Dr. Brad Breedlove has earned a regional honor and is now one of eight superintendents competing for statewide recognition.
Breedlove has been named the 2027 Southeast Region Superintendent of the Year, representing Region 2 in the competition for the 2027 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year Award.
The statewide award is selected jointly by the North Carolina Association of School Administrators and the North Carolina School Superintendents’ Association, with support from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and Scholastic Education.
“I’m honored to represent Pender County Schools and the Southeast region,” Breedlove said. “This recognition is really about our students, teachers, staff, administrators, families and community.”
Breedlove is one of eight regional winners from across North Carolina. The other regional honorees are Dr. Matt Lutz of Currituck County Schools, Dr. Steve Ellis of Nash County Public Schools, Dr. Jamie King of Sampson County Schools, Dr. Stephen Gainey of Randolph County School System, Dr. Crystal Hill of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Dr. Mike Swan of Burke County Public Schools and Chad Calhoun of Mitchell County Schools.
Pender County Board of Education Chair Don Hall congratulated Breedlove on the recognition.
“This is a great honor for Dr. Breedlove and for Pender County Schools,” Hall said. “Dr. Breedlove works hard, he cares about our students and staff, and he wants to see this school system get better every day.”
The 2027 North Carolina Superintendent of the Year will be announced Oct. 8 at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro. The ceremony is scheduled to be livestreamed beginning at 11:30 a.m.
The award is named for the late A. Craig Phillips, who served as North Carolina superintendent of public instruction from 1969 to 1989.
The statewide recipient will go on to represent North Carolina in the 2027 National Superintendent of the Year competition. The national conference is scheduled for Feb. 25-27, 2027, in Atlanta.
