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Dr. Lory Morrow
Dr. Lory Morrow has over 30 years of experience in the field of education. Her journey began with earning a Bachelors of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, continued with a Masters of Arts in School Administration, and finally, her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Gardner- Webb University. Combining her love for children and her vast education, Dr. Morrow has served in a variety of roles during her long career, beginning as a kindergarten teacher in Charlotte. She built on her knowledge of teaching reading as a Literacy Facilitator thus sparking a desire to focus more on school leadership.
Dr. Morrow began her administrative path as an assistant principal and principal in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and later, in Iredell County. Working with many different demographics further inspired her to seek leadership opportunities such as Director of School Leadership and Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in Gaston County.
Named as the first female Superintendent of Davidson County Schools in 2014, Dr. Morrow was instrumental in increasing communication and partnerships with the community, resulting in the passing of a ¼ cent sales tax to support the construction of a new high school. She increased security measures, secured money for needed classrooms, collaborated and deployed grant money for project/problem based learning as well as principal preparation to increase excellence and equity in rural schools. The partnerships with Davidson County Community College leading to Career and College Promise courses in selected high schools and The Apprenticeship Summit to further CTE programs are two accomplishments of which she is especially proud. Dr. Morrow was named the Piedmont Triad Regional Superintendent of the Year in May, 2016.
In August, 2017, Dr. Morrow was named Superintendent of Lincoln County Schools. Once again, she advocated for a ¼ cent tax to support the school system in the areas of security, capital improvements and classroom materials and supplies. Recognizing a need for building leadership capacity among principals and assistant principals, she implemented a Leadership Academy to develop future school level leaders. She believes one of her strongest initiatives was The Digital Literacy Plan which replaced/ refreshed technology and increased teacher training to utilize digital resources effectively. COVID brought many unexpected challenges for Dr Morrow, but she used her relationships in the community to create exterior public wi-fi, more digital resources for at-home learning, and even a mobile food truck to feed the community.
After retiring from the superintendency in October 2020, Dr. Morrow realized that with her experience, proven record of success, and dedication to improving education, she had much more to offer and founded L3 Consulting, LLC. As a consultant across North and South Carolina, she collaborates with superintendents, district-level leaders, principals, assistant principals, and teacher leaders to develop their leadership acumen.
Throughout her career, Dr. Morrow has presented at state, regional, and national conferences on topics relating to curriculum, instructional practices, and leadership development. She served as president of NCASCD, president-elect of NCASA, and represented North Carolina superintendents as a national board member for AASA.
In her free time, Dr. Morrow enjoys swimming, walking on the beach, reading, playing with her dog, Layla Belle, and spending time with family and friends.