Jones comes to Orange County Schools from Phillips Middle School in Chapel Hill, where she had served as an assistant principal since 2007. Prior to her tenure at Phillips, Jones was an assistant principal at Centennial Campus Middle School in Raleigh.

Jones, who earned her doctorate in educational leadership from UNC, brings more than 10 years of middle school administrative experience to Stanback.

"I am very excited to be joining the staff, students, and parents of A.L. Stanback Middle School," Jones said. "Together, we will continue to have high expectations for learning and teaching. It is not what we do over the course of the year, rather what we do daily that has the greatest impact on students. We will provide a nurturing and intellectually stimulating school culture that embraces all children and inspires them to 'achieve, lead, and succeed.'"

"Dr. Jones brings her proven track record of successful leadership and extensive middle school experience to A. L. Stanback," said Orange County Superintendent Patrick Rhodes. "We are extremely excited that Dr. Jones will be joining Stanback. The selection committee recognized her as an outstanding candidate and we believe that she will be a great addition to an already excellent faculty."

Jones spent the first seven years of her educational career as a special education teacher before working with at-risk students in 1995. She served as an assistant principal and interim principal in Wake County until moving to Chapel Hill in 2007. She earned her bachelor's degree in communications and her master's degree in special education from N.C. State. Jones received a master's degree in school administration as a North Carolina Principal Fellow before earning her doctorate in educational leadership from UNC.