Thanks to the recently awarded Career and Technical Education (CTE) Grade Expansion Grant, Mount Airy City Schools is able to expand CTE services to middle school students. This grant provides funding each year for the next seven years to the district. Funding from this grant has allowed for the creation of a Career Development Coordinator (CDC) position.
Mount Airy City Schools is pleased to announce that Mrs. Catrina Alexander has been named the CDC for Mount Airy Middle School. Mrs. Alexander has held the position of Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Mount Airy (MAPR) since 2005, when she was named the city’s first recreation director. She obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Parks and Recreation Management from the School of Education and Psychology from Western Carolina University in 1991. In 2010, she earned the Certified Parks and Recreation Professional certificate, which is the national standard for parks and recreation professionals and in 2014 she became a Surry Leadership graduate. She is married to Mel and is the mother to Jackson, a Mount Airy High School graduate, and Macy, a current Mount Airy High School student.
Mrs. Alexander has positively impacted families in Surry County since she began working for the Surry County Department of Social Services in 1993. Her work in the area has also included work with the Surry County Health and Nutrition Center and Surry County Parks and Recreation Department (SCPR). As Director of SCPR, she wrote and received two grants which assisted with the development of Fisher River Park, a 60-acre outdoor, recreation facility.
During her time with MAPR, she has been instrumental in the growth and development of partnerships and facilities through Mount Airy and Surry County. She has brought $1.5 million worth of grant funding that has assisted in the expansion of Westwood Park, restoration of the Ararat River, and connecting of the Greenway to create more active spaces for an active community and visitors to utilize. In addition to her work with MAPR, she has also been a member of several boards such as the Mount Airy City Schools Health Advisory Committee, Pilot Mountain State Park Board of Directors, Surry Sunrise Rotary and has served in several executive roles for the North Carolina Recreation and Parks Association. She was named Mount Airy’s Citizen of the Year in 2017.
“I have been fortunate to work alongside so many wonderful leaders within our community and in a profession that I have truly loved. I am looking forward to supporting CTE and to work collaboratively with administrators, student services personnel, and teachers to facilitate connections with parents, business/industry, postsecondary institutions, and community organizations to support our students. I am excited for the opportunity to be part of a wonderful team that works so hard to teach our children the skills they need to become successful adults and lifelong learners.” remarked Alexander.
Her twenty-five years of public service to the area, region, and state has provided her with a wide range of experiences and connections that will enable her to create dynamic partnerships in business and industry and help connect students to careers. Mrs. Alexander’s passion for experience-based learning opportunities will make her a great addition to the district team as work in the strategic plan continues to develop and grow entrepreneurship projects for students.
“We are extremely excited to welcome someone of Mrs. Catrina Alexander’s caliber to our organization. Mount Airy City Schools will benefit from all the gifts, talents, and abilities of Mrs. Alexander. Our ability to add this position will be a great asset to our students as Mrs. Alexander has a strong background in creating partnerships, writing grants, and building relationships. We look forward to seeing this position provide students with guidance on career choices, opportunities for students to work closely with local industry and develop entrepreneurship experiences for our children.”
Mount Airy City Schools will welcome Mrs. Alexander on March 12th.