Sampson County Schools is thrilled to announce that Brenda Nordin, SCS Director of Teacher Support has been selected as the 2024 North Carolina Administrator of the Year by the esteemed North Carolina Association of Educational Office Professionals (NCAEOP). This prestigious recognition comes as a testament to Brenda's exceptional dedication, expertise, and profound impact on education throughout her career.
Brenda brings a wealth of experience to her role, having served in various educational capacities across multiple states:
4 years: Ohio, nurturing young minds as a 3rd and 4th-grade teacher
8 years: Iowa, as a dedicated 5th-grade educator
3 years: Alabama, leading as a director/principal of Pre-Kindergarten
6 years: Tennessee, shaping the future of students in 5th grade
Since 1996: Sampson County, North Carolina; where she has served diligently for over two decades. Her roles include 2 years in 2nd-grade at Salemburg Elementary School and 3 years in 5th-grade at Union Elementary School.
Since 2001: Brenda has been an integral part of the SCS central office, contributing as a beginning teacher coordinator, and now overseeing beginning teachers and mentors and Arts education.
She earned her master of School Administration and Curriculum & Instruction from UNC-Pembroke and her bachelor’s degree in education with a K-8 certification from Miami University of Ohio.
“We are extremely proud of Mrs. Nordin and the work she does for Sampson County Schools,” said SCS Superintendent Jamie King. “Her work with our beginning teacher program is second to none in North Carolina.”
Beyond the classroom, Brenda is deeply committed to her community where she serves as a member & past president of Clinton Kiwanis, a current board member of Sampson Arts Council and an active member of the Sampson County Library Board.
Brenda's passion for education and service has not gone unnoticed. She has previously been recognized as the Sampson County AEOP of the Year and the 2017 State DPI Award for Exemplary Beginning Teacher Support Program recipient.
Brenda's dedication to her students and the profound impact of her work is best captured in her own words, “When I see former students who have overcome challenges in their life and gone on to be a productive, successful adult it makes my heart happy.”
Furthermore, Brenda's touching story of a student from Ohio exemplifies her unwavering commitment to her students' well-being. “While working in Ohio as a teacher, I had a student that would lose his scissors every day in class,” Brenda reminisced. “Over the years, my mother would often recall the stories I shared with her about that student. During a conversation one day with my mom, she mentioned that the student’s dad had recently died. Fast forward several months later, I received a letter in the mail from that student. Enclosed was a check for $100 with a note that said he was settling his dad’s estate and wanted to share part of his money with me to buy scissors for kids so they would never be without scissors. You don’t realize the impact or influence you have as a teacher on the life of a young child.”
Brenda Nordin's selection as the North Carolina Administrator of the Year is a testament to her unwavering commitment to education and her profound impact on the lives of countless students and educators.
About NCAEOP
In 1951, the North Carolina Association of Educational Secretaries was organized. The name of the association became the North Carolina Association of Educational Office Personnel, Inc., in 1973, and in 1993, the membership voted to change the name to the North Carolina Association of Educational Office Professionals, Inc. Membership is open to educational office personnel and administrators within the educational system (public and private) in North Carolina. No other educational association in this state makes itself so readily accessible to a single professional class of persons who cover the complete spectrum of education.
NCAEOP is a support organization for office personnel and administrators in public and private educational systems throughout North Carolina. The organization provides professional development opportunities, insurance, scholarships to its members as well as a legislative platform to promote input into all matters impacting matters of education in our state.
NCAEOP is comprised of a board of directors which consists of president, president elect, vice president, secretary, immediate past president, and fourteen district presidents.
* Pictured left to right are Darcilla Owens, NCAEOP District 13 President, Brenda Nordin, Jamie King, SCS Superintendent, and Valerie Owens, Sampson County AEOP Treasurer