May 7, 2026
Teacher of the Year honorees from each of Transylvania County’s public schools. Transylvania County Schools
Transylvania County Schools honored its educators, support staff, and retirees Monday with a banquet at the Transylvania County Library’s Rogow Room and recognized award winners from each of the district’s nine schools as well as 14 retiring employees working in the public school system.
School-level honorees chosen by their peers include Ashley Dickson, Brevard High School; Topher Kane, Brevard Middle School; Kim Wynn, Rosman High School; Citlalmina McKelvey, Rosman Elementary School; Sarah Reid, Rosman Middle School, Angie Reese, T.C. Henderson School of Science and Technology; Stephanie Ray, Pisgah Forest Elementary School; Margaret Joseph, Davidson River School; and Alaina McGinnis, Brevard Elementary School.
The district’s Principal of the Year is Rosman High’s Jason Ormsby. Superintendent Lisa Fletcher presented the award to Ormsby and cited his commitment to student safety and school culture: “If you ask students at Rosman High School whether they feel safe at school, they quickly say, ‘Yes. Mr. Ormsby will not let anything happen to us,'” Fletcher said.
Chief Academic Officer Carrie Norris noted that the Employee of the Year award was broadened this year to recognize all classified staff, not just instructional assistants. “It takes every single role to keep our schools safe and an optimal place of learning,” she said.
The 2026 school-level Employees of the Year are Terri Upton, Brevard Elementary School; Karen Britt, Brevard Middle School; Kim Garrett, Brevard High School; Lisa Rogers, Pisgah Forest Elementary School; Heather Greene, Rosman Middle School; Teresa Morton, T.C. Henderson School of Science and Technology; Janet Whitmire, Rosman Elementary School; Moriah Greer-Hardwick, Davidson River School; and Amanda Metcalf, Rosman High School.
The Beginning Teacher of the Year is Sydney Gilbert. The Career and Technical honoree is Lindsay Barton. The school system’s Media Specialist of the Year is Samantha Osteen, and Lovey Puryear was selected as Student Services Person of the Year.
Fourteen employees were also honored for their retirement and presented with gifts from Transylvania County Schools Board of Education members. The honorees and their years of service are: David “Mick” Galloway, 31 years; Rebecca “Becky” Gant, nearly 27 years; Chris Dodson, 37 years; Charles Nicholson, nearly 15 years; Tammy Hall, 25 years; Philip Fisher, 27 years; Sheila Byrd, 20 years; Heather McNeely, 20 years; Anna Galloway, 30 years; Karen Smith, 21 years; Samantha Ray, 30 years; Kimberly Moore, 29 years; Eric Wahus, 25 years; and Audrey Reneau, 39 years.
Kimberly Moore, a third-grade teacher at Pisgah Forest Elementary School and the 2025 Teacher of the Year, addressed those in attendance before retiring from 29 years as an educator by saying. “Thank you for choosing our children and thank you for the thousands of decisions you make every single day on their behalf.”