SALISBURY — Alexis Cowan will take over as principal at Henderson Independent High School in the upcoming school year.

Cowan currently serves as community principal for the North Rowan district of Rowan-Salisbury Schools.

He was previously principal of North Rowan Middle School and an assistant principal at Koontz Elementary School and Jesse Carson High School. Cowan is a Rowan County native and has more than 30 years of experience as an educator.

Cowan received his undergraduate degree from Winston-Salem State University and his master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Cowan takes the reins from Arlisa Armond, who led Henderson from 2016 until June 28. Armond accepted a job with Guilford County Schools as principal of Southwest Guilford Middle School.

While Cowan’s appointment as North area community principal was a unique job at the time, Rowan County’s other regions quickly followed suit. This year, each geographic area will have its own community principal, who is charged with driving growth and vision and bringing the area’s schools closer together.

Community principals for the 2018-19 school year are:

• South area: Kelly Withers, principal of South Rowan High School.

• Southeast area: Ben Crawford, principal of China Grove Middle School.

• East area: Zebbie Bondurant, principal of Shive Elementary School.

• West area: Jamie Durant, principal of West Rowan High School.

Salisbury area — Marvin Moore, principal of Isenberg Elementary School.

North area — Meredith Williams, principal of North Rowan High School.