Paul Norcross is the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Alliance, as well as the Global Supply Solutions Group, an international supply management and consulting consortium, Phoenix Academy, a public charter school in High Point, NC; and the Seven Degrees of Change, a global literacy program. He also serves on the board of directors of the High Point Rotary Club, the High Point Library Foundation and the Library Renewal Program of the Philippines.
Gail Scott Taylor (Vice-Chair) is the Principal of Carter Community School in Durham, NC. Prior to joining Carter Community, Gail Taylor worked as a Charter School Consultant at North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction. In her role as a consultant, Gail worked with public charter schools to ensure compliance with state and federal law.
Brandon Smith (Membership Co-Chair) serves as the executive director of East Wake First Charter and Superintendent of East Wake Academy. As chief administrator of the school in developing and implementing policies, programs, curriculum activities and budgets, Brandon promotes the educational development of each student and the professional development of each staff member. Prior to his role at East Wake, Brandon worked in the traditional public school system.
Todd Havican (Membership Co-Chair) is a School Board Member at Union Academy Charter School where his three children attend school. He is a Product Manager at Duff Norton, manufacturer of industrial linear actuators in Charlotte, North Carolina. Todd has a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from New Jersey Institute of Technology.
George Ragsdale is the Principal of the Wrennovation Companies, a Real Estate Holding and Management Company based in Jamestown. He, His wife Jenny and their Children Wrenn and Katherine are active in the Greater Jamestown Community. George serves on the boards of Hospice of the Piedmont, Family Service of the Piedmont and the GTCC Foundation Board. He is a past Member of the Greensboro YMCA Board.
Baker Mitchel
l (Secretary) has a Master’s degree in electrical engineering and retired from his computer engineering firm to found two public charter schools in North Carolina. These two award-winning K-8 schools have grown from 53 students in 2000 to now serve over 1,500 students from six coastal counties. In addition to the two schools, his interests include research-based instructional methods and applied behavior analysis. Baker holds two patents and is the author of over thirty peer-reviewed engineering publications including chapters in two textbooks.
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