Honoring the Quiet Champions of North Carolina Charter Schools
August 12, 2026
Emily Moore
Honoring the Quiet Champions of North Carolina Charter Schools
By Rhonda Dillingham, Executive Director
As North Carolina’s charter school community marks this momentous anniversary year, we are
taking time not only to celebrate how far the movement has come, but also to recognize the
people whose courage, commitment, and steady service helped make that progress possible.
Prior to this anniversary celebration, the NC Association for Public Charter Schools convened a
30-year anniversary committee to help guide an appropriate and meaningful recognition of this
milestone. The committee’s work centered on honoring the charter school community from
within—pausing to recognize unwavering pioneers and fierce advocates who often work behind
the scenes, strengthening schools and supporting students without ever seeking the spotlight.
Out of that vision came the North Carolina Charter School Hall of Fame, created to highlight
individuals whose service has made a lasting difference. For this inaugural recognition, the
committee selected two honorees in each of three categories: Outstanding Community Partners,
Outstanding School Leaders, and Outstanding Alumni. Honorees from the first two categories
were recognized at the Pearls of Wisdom Conference on July 20, 2026.
Recognizing Outstanding Community Partners
The first category recognized by the Hall of Fame is Outstanding Community Partner. These
honorees are individuals who work outside the walls of schools but provide essential support that
helps charter schools thrive. Nominees were considered based on demonstrated support,
collaboration, innovation, sustained engagement, positive impact, and advocacy.
A Foundational Partner in Stability and Growth
The first Outstanding Community Partner honoree has played a foundational and lasting role in
North Carolina’s charter school movement. In the earliest days of charter schools, one of the
most serious obstacles new schools faced was securing insurance. Traditional carriers often
viewed these schools as too new and too risky, creating a barrier that could have prevented many
from opening or operating with confidence.
Through his work, Steve Griffin helped provide the stability early charter schools needed to take
root. His contributions extended beyond a single moment in time. From supporting the 1996
Charter School Act to chairing NCAPCS Action and the Education Freedom PAC, he has
remained a steady advocate for school choice, equitable funding, facilities access, and charter
autonomy.
His legacy is one of quiet but profound impact. By standing with charter schools when the
movement was still fragile, and by helping build the systems behind them, Steve helped
transform North Carolina charters from an emerging experiment into a permanent and
meaningful part of public education.
A Trusted Legal Advisor and Tireless Advocate
The second Outstanding Community Partner honoree is recognized for exceptional service and
lasting impact on North Carolina’s charter school community. With nearly twenty years of legal
experience, Lisa Gordon-Stella has been a trusted advisor to charter schools, boards, and leaders,
offering guidance in governance, employment law, mediation, investigations, and organizational
best practices.
Her service as a former charter school board member and as chair of the NC Association for
Public Charter Schools reflects a deep commitment to strengthening schools and supporting
student success. Known for her integrity, fairness, and practical leadership, she helps school
communities navigate complex challenges with professionalism and a student-centered focus.
Through her advocacy, collaboration, and dedication, she has strengthened governance,
supported school leaders, and advanced the charter school movement across North Carolina.
Lisa’s work underscores the importance of trusted partners who help schools remain focused,
resilient, and prepared to serve students well.
Honoring Outstanding Former School Leaders Who Shaped North Carolina Charter Education
The Hall of Fame’s Outstanding Former School Leader category recognizes individuals whose
careers reflect exceptional educational leadership, student achievement and growth, innovation,
community engagement, advocacy for charter schools, integrity, mentoring, and lasting impact.
This year’s honorees exemplify those qualities through decades of service to students, families,
educators, and communities across North Carolina.
Joseph Maimone: Building a Legacy of Academic Excellence and
Charter School Leadership
Joseph Maimone stands among the most influential leaders in North Carolina’s charter school
movement. Through vision, persistence, and service, he helped shape Thomas Jefferson Classical
Academy into one of the state’s most respected public charter schools while strengthening public
charter education statewide.
In the late 1990s, Maimone and his wife, Georgia, moved from New York to Rutherford County
with a belief that families deserved greater educational choice. Working alongside local parents
and community members, they helped found Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in 1999.
What began as a small school serving just over 100 students grew under his leadership into a
respected K-12 charter school serving more than 1,600 students.
As Founding Headmaster for nearly two decades, Maimone championed academic rigor,
character development, personal responsibility, and a strong school culture. His leadership
helped establish a model rooted in high expectations, disciplined learning, and a commitment to
preparing students for lives of citizenship, service, and purpose.
His influence extended far beyond one campus. Through service on the Charter Schools
Advisory Board, he helped shape policies and accountability standards that strengthened charter
school quality while advocating for excellence and responsible governance. He later served as
Chief of Staff for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, bringing the perspective
of an accomplished charter leader to statewide education work and fostering collaboration among
educators, policymakers, and community leaders.
Throughout his career, Maimone has modeled integrity, professionalism, and servant leadership,
consistently placing children and families first. Few individuals have contributed more to the
success and credibility of North Carolina’s charter school movement. His legacy is measured not
only by the school he helped build, but also by generations of students inspired to pursue
excellence, serve their communities, and live with purpose.
Dr. Joanne Woodard: A Visionary Who Built Opportunity Through
Arts, Science, and Global Learning
Described by a board member as a visionary, Dr. Joanne Woodard has created an institution of
excellence in Sallie B. Howard School of Arts and Science. Her leadership reflects the rare
combination of imagination, conviction, and perseverance required to build something that
changes lives for generations.
Her work began in 1989, when she founded the Youth Enrichment Program of Wilson, inspired
by the teachings and legacy of Mrs. Sallie Baldwin Howard. When North Carolina passed its
charter school law in 1996, Dr. Woodard applied for and received a charter to open one of the
state’s first charter schools. From humble beginnings in trailers, to a former shirt warehouse, to a
beautiful campus with multiple buildings and facilities for students, the journey has been
profound.
Even in the earliest days, when many new charter schools were focused on the essentials of
buildings, enrollment, and funding, Dr. Woodard was already thinking globally. Her original
charter application included a Study/Travel Abroad program, a bold and innovative vision that
has become a hallmark of the school. For nearly three decades, educationally disadvantaged
students have traveled across the globe, gaining exposure, confidence, and experiences that
expand their understanding of what is possible.
Dr. Woodard has led by example, working tirelessly for decades to create a school culture
grounded in purpose, excellence, and care. Many members of the school’s leadership team have
served for more than two decades, mentored by her and shaped by her example. Together, they
have helped lead the school to a place of honor, including earning an “A” on the state school
report card—an accomplishment hard earned and well deserved by students, staff, and the
broader school community.
The impact of Dr. Woodard’s leadership will be felt across the region for decades to come. Great
visionaries do not come around every day; they are once-in-a-lifetime leaders who see possibility
where others see limits. Dr. Joanne Woodard is exactly that kind of leader, and her legacy will
continue through the students, educators, and families whose lives have been transformed by her
vision.
Celebrating Those Who Make the Movement Possible
The creation of the North Carolina Charter School Hall of Fame is more than an anniversary
tribute. It is a reminder that lasting movements are built by people willing to lead, serve,
advocate, and support—often without public recognition. By honoring these Outstanding Community Partners and Former School Leaders, the charter school community celebrates not only individual achievement, but also the shared commitment that has helped expand opportunity
for students and families across the state.