Teach For America North Carolina is proud to celebrate the outstanding leaders across our network. In honor of 35 years of impact across the state, we are thrilled to announce the Legacy of Excellence Award Series.

This year, we are excited to recognize remarkable leaders with one of three prestigious awards.

The Legacy of Excellence in Educational Leadership Award honors leaders who have demonstrated a remarkable impact in the educational field. This award recognizes individuals who have contributed an outsized legacy and lasting impact on the conditions of education and/or the long-term success and sustainability of Teach For America and its affiliates across the state.

The Legacy of Impact for Alumni Leadership Award honors a Teach For America alumnus who continues to make extraordinary contributions well beyond their time in the corps. This award celebrates the outsized and exponential impact of educational leaders who are TFA alumni, recognizing their dedication to transforming education and creating lasting change across the state. These leaders exemplify the values of Teach For America through their innovation, vision, and unwavering commitment to improving educational equity and excellence through impactful opportunities for all students.

The Legacy of Impact for Partnership Excellence Award recognizes outstanding network partners who have made significant strides in driving meaningful impact within our community. This award honors incredible partners who have made outsized investments contributions or support of the TFA network.  These partners exemplify commitment, vision, and a shared dedication to building a brighter future for students and communities. Through their efforts, they help strengthen the fabric of our network and amplify the collective impact of our shared mission.

"I believe in 'One Day'. I believe in the teachers and leaders who choose to make “One Day” happen for students in classrooms across North Carolina every day. I believe in Molly Urquhart, Derick Lee, Amy Strecker, Jennifer Haygood, Eric Guckian, Donnell Cannon, Jenny O’Meara, Dean Drescher, Sayre Mann, Hillary Braden, Kayla Morais, Elena Ashburn, Lauren Lampron, Alex Quigley, Seth Sauegling, Vichi Jagannathan, Erin Swanson, Heather Graham, and each and every one of you who chooses to make “One Day” part of your leadership commitment to our students, our state, and our future. What I know to be true is that 'One Day' does not happen for all North Carolina students without Teach For America. In classrooms where good things are happening, you will find TFA teachers offering up snaps. Snaps, TFA, for the individual leaders you invest in and support and for your unparalleled organizational leadership across North Carolina. Thank you for including me in your commitment to 'One Day.'"

Mebane Rash is the founding CEO and editor-in-chief of EdNC.org, where you can find essential news, important stories, and diverse perspectives about education. In 10 years, EdNC has grown from an audience of 0 to reaching 1.2 million unique users of the website annually, reaching even more through newsletters and social media. A native of North Carolina, she attended public schools in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Mebane’s travel to all 100 counties, 47 states, and 30 countries informs her strategic leadership on politics, policy, law, communications, philanthropy, and change.

"As a daughter of parents who grew up amid material poverty and became first-generation college students, I intimately know the power that education holds for radically transforming generational trajectories. And as the mother of a child with learning differences, I also know that simple access to education is too often not enough. Teach For America's vision is personal to me - and has never been more important. I'm deeply honored to have had the opportunity to contribute to the organization's deep and enduring work toward educational equity in my home state."

Robyn Fehrman is a dynamic leader with nearly 25 years of experience driving innovation and scaling impact in education, social entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and global health. Through Mindful Social Impact, she provides strategic consulting and leadership support to organizations across the social impact ecosystem.

Robyn has held pivotal roles, including Founding Partner at LearnerStudio, President & CEO of Enactus, and Managing Director at Duke University’s Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE). As Executive Director of Teach For America - Eastern North Carolina, she led significant growth, expanding the organization’s reach to 25,000 students daily while securing a 675% increase in recurring public funding.

Robyn serves as a Director for the UN Global Compact's Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative and has held leadership roles with Global Grassroots and Medical Students for Choice. She also holds the position of Principal at Mindful Social Impact. She earned her MPA and BA from UNC-Chapel Hill and lives in Durham, NC, with her family.

""This award means a lot to me. Specifically, it solidifies the work the team and I lead every day to continue the lifelong living legacy of Dr. Dudley E. Flood. Through continuing to provide service to our state by advocating for what is right, this award reinforces that “right is always right” even when it is not always popular. Thanks for this recognition, I am honored and humbled."

In her capacity as Senior Director, Dr. Townsend-Smith advances and expands the current programmatic and policy efforts of the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity to achieve its mission of addressing issues of systemic racism by advocating for structural changes in policy and practice to build an equitable education system that meets the social, emotional, and academic needs of NC’s diverse student population.

Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith has worked in education for over 2 decades. In 2014, she earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership. She has worked and gained expertise in a variety of roles, including as a teacher, mentor, new teacher coach, administrator and, most recently, as the Director of Board Policy and Operations for the North Carolina State Board of Education. Prior to that role, Dr. Townsend-Smith served as the assistant director in the NC Office of Charter Schools. Deanna has a passion for education and has dedicated her life’s work to the field. Most of her career has been spent in North Carolina, where she resides with her husband and son. In her spare time, she enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, reading, and traveling.

""Teach For America has been the most impactful professional and personal network of my life. From my start as a corps member in the South Bronx in 1995 to serving as Executive Director in Eastern North Carolina and Charlotte, TFA has shaped nearly every step of my journey. It’s where I met my wife of 25 years, Lisa (NYC ’96), built lifelong friendships, and gained invaluable experience that informed my work as Senior Education Advisor to the Governor of North Carolina and beyond. Even now, as I work with United Way to tackle poverty and increase social mobility in the Triangle, I continue to collaborate with TFA alums. And as our daughter, now a sophomore at Carolina, recently participated in the Ignite Fellowship, it feels like we’ve come full circle. What started as a two-year commitment has profoundly transformed my life in ways I never imagined, and I’m endlessly grateful for it."

Eric Guckian has dedicated his career to creating lasting change and expanding opportunities for underserved communities. With a focus on education and social mobility, he has held leadership roles across sectors, including Teach For America (TFA), New Leaders, and KIPP.

As Executive Director of TFA Eastern North Carolina, Eric quadrupled the teaching corps and tripled fundraising while achieving top student outcomes nationally. He later became the founding Executive Director of New Leaders in Charlotte, where he placed over 50 school leaders in high-need schools and co-launched Project LIFT, driving academic gains in West Charlotte schools.

In 2013, Eric served as Senior Education Advisor to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, securing two of the nation’s largest teacher pay increases and championing education reforms. Since 2017, as President and CEO of United Way of the Greater Triangle, he has led transformative initiatives, including $30M in community grants and innovative partnerships like Triangle 10 to Watch, advancing equity through investment in nonprofits led by women and people of color.

Eric holds degrees from Colgate University and Harvard University. A proud public school graduate, he lives in Durham, NC, with his wife, Lisa, and their daughters, Scarlett and Elsa.

""As a child raised in the projects and born to a 16-year-old mother, I experienced firsthand the unfairness in education that drove my passion for change. I knew schools needed to be redesigned to ensure an excellent education for every child is a reality for all young people and Teach For America provided me with a clear pathway to make that happen. This opportunity allowed me to begin my work advocating for a more just educational landscape, where every child has the chance to reach their unbridled potential."

Dr. Donnell Cannon is a visionary leader dedicated to reimagining education and creating bold, co-designed learning environments. As Senior Designer for the Reinvention Lab, he collaborates to develop innovative, adaptive models that challenge traditional educational systems.

Previously, Donnell served as the Executive Director of Maureen Joy Charter School, where he launched the Learning Studio to pioneer new approaches to learning. He co-founded the North-Phillips School of Innovation and became North Carolina’s youngest principal at North Edgecombe High School, leading the school to exceed growth expectations for six consecutive years.

Recognized as one of the Triangle’s 40 Under 40 in 2021, Donnell believes in the transformative power of education to unlock potential and create opportunity. His work centers on empowering students and educators to lead with pride and purpose, fostering systems that are  innovative and inclusive for all.

""Working with Teach For America since 2012 has been incredibly rewarding. It has allowed me to support an excellent education for every child and make a lasting impact on students' lives. I'm grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such an important cause."

Cameron Henley has over sixteen years of state lobbying experience and currently serves as a Managing Member at Navigator. He works with a manifold portfolio of clients across industries such as environmental, energy, education, technology, and finance.

Before joining Navigator, Cameron served as the Director of State Public Affairs at Moore & Van Allen. His previous roles include Legislative Relations Specialist for ElectriCities of North Carolina and Research Assistant for the North Carolina Forum for Research and Economic Education (NC FREE). 

Cameron has been a part of the Teach For America advocacy team since 2012 helping to secure over seventy million dollars to support TFA's efforts in North Carolina.

""I have enjoyed being a part of the Teach For America team since 2012 and I am thrilled to be selected as one for the legacyLegacy of Impact for Partnership Excellence  honorees.  Teach For America is a wonderful organization and I’m proud to be a part of expanding educational opportunities for children across North Carolina."

Tommy is a senior vice president in the state government affairs group at McGuireWoods Consulting where he represents clients before the state legislature and U.S. Congress.

He brings more than two decades of experience in state and federal policy, legislative process and politics, including serving as senior staff for the North Carolina Senate President Pro Tem and several members of U.S. Congress.  Tommy has a strong network throughout state government in North Carolina and the North Carolina congressional delegation, and has experience representing Fortune 500 companies, start-ups and trade associations before the North Carolina General Assembly, Congress and executive agencies on issues including energy, environmental, education, transportation, health care and information technology.

Prior to joining McGuireWoods Consulting, Tommy served as the director of state public affairs for Moore & Van Allen Public Affairs where he managed the Raleigh office and represented clients at both the state and federal level for Moore & Van Allen Public Affairs.  Before his time at Moore & Van Allen, Tommy served as deputy chief of staff for policy for North Carolina President Pro Tem Phil Berger. Before Tommy worked at the General Assembly, he lobbied at the federal level for both the NC Farm Bureau and the National Pork Producers Council for several years.  He also worked on Capitol Hill for nine years, including six years with Congressman Robin Hayes where he served as deputy chief of staff. 

Tommy serves on several boards including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Visitors, the Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. 

Tommy is a native of Raleigh, where he lives with his wife and two sons.

""ChildTrust Foundation is honored to be recognized for our long-standing partnership with TFA NC. In 2012, we made our first grant to support corps members in eastern North Carolina. Since then, we’ve been proud to watch the work grow to include Ignite Fellowships with current college students and RISE Fellowships and other leadership opportunities for alumni. Like our partners at TFA, we are committed to building bright futures for North Carolina’s children and we firmly believe in the power of transformational relationships and learning experiences to make that happen.”

ChildTrust Foundation focuses on advancing early education and literacy with a strong emphasis on fairness for children and families historically underserved by early childhood systems. Their support extends beyond grantmaking, fostering collaboration, networking, and capacity building to drive meaningful and lasting success. Through their partnership with Invest Early NC, a network of early childhood funders, they amplify their impact and expand their reach through co-funded initiatives.

This award will be accepted by Cyndi Soter O’Neil (Director, Strategic Philanthropy).