For the first time since Dr. Lynn Moody became superintendent of the Rowan-Salisbury School System, her administrative team on the cabinet level is full, and Moody is excited to start planning and “moving the district forward.”
Rowan-Salisbury Schools Board of Education unanimously approved Moody’s recommendation to hire Anthony Vann as assistant superintendent of operations at a board meeting Monday evening.
Vann will start his new position March 1.
Moody says she believes Vann will be a “great team player” and that he will play a key role in balancing her administrative team.
Vann said he’s heard a lot of positive things about the Rowan-Salisbury School System and that the potential to work on the school system’s upcoming building projects “piqued his interest.”
“I’m really looking forward to working with Rowan,” Vann said.
Vann has served as the executive director of auxiliary services for Sampson County Schools since 2007. Before that, he was the director of operations for the school system from 2002 to 2007.
Vann directed the non-curriculum operations of Sampson County Schools. He oversaw child nutrition, plant operations, construction and transportation services.
While he was the director of operations, Vann managed the largest new building program in Sampson County history. He oversaw the $110 million development and construction of three new schools.
Vann’s experience in Sampson County closely mirrors what he’ll be doing for Rowan-Salisbury Schools, and he’s excited to be working with a larger school system.
“It’s a huge responsibility,” Moody said, explaining that Vann will be responsible for new construction, maintenance, custodians, transportation and food service.
Moody said Vann’s “references were absolutely outstanding” and that she was impressed with his experience, including his master’s of business administration and contractors license.
“I’ve been in the operations field in private industry and for another school system for about 35 years,” Vann said.
He earned his master’s of business administration from Liberty University and his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mount Olive College. He also has a degree in architectural drafting and design from Fayetteville Community College.
Vann has worked in various roles including vice president and project manager in a number of contracting and engineering companies during his career.
Gene Miller, who previously held the position of assistant superintendent of operations, retired when former superintendent Dr. Judy Grissom retired. The position has been vacant since Moody began on Oct. 1.
Vann grew up in Sampson County but spent most of his adult life elsewhere in North Carolina. He’s lived in Wilmington, Raleigh and Cary. He moved back to Sampson County in 2002 to take the director of operations position with the school system.
Vann and his wife, Carrie, have been married for 17 years. Carrie is a high school physics and physical science teacher in Sampson County.
Vann has a son, Dylan, who is in the seventh grade and an adult daughter and son, Alex and Houston.
Carrie and Dylan plan to finish the school year in Sampson County and move to Rowan County this summer.
Vann hopes to improve the efficiency of Rowan-Salisbury Schools’ operations.
“Hopefully I can leave it a little better than when I came.”