The Buncombe County Board of Education has appointed Dr. Jennifer Reed as superintendent of Buncombe County Schools, following a four-month search process. Dr. Reed, who has served as interim superintendent since Sept. 1 following the retirement of Dr. Rob Jackson, was sworn into office on September 24, 2026 by Judge Robin L. Merrell during a special-called Board of Education meeting.

A lifelong Buncombe County resident and graduate of Enka High School, Dr. Reed has spent her career serving students and educators across Western North Carolina. She becomes the 23rd superintendent of Buncombe County Schools and the second woman to hold the position. Ethel Terrell, who served Buncombe County Schools from 1919-1921, was the first female superintendent in North Carolina and, like Reed, was a “homegrown,” experienced and respected educator.

Dr. Reed’s career with Buncombe County Schools includes serving as an assistant principal and instructional coach, principal of Fairview Elementary School from 2012-17, director of elementary and intermediate education from 2017-22, and associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction.

She began her career as a fourth-grade teacher at Hominy Valley Elementary after earning her undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill. She later earned a master’s degree in elementary education and principal licensure from Western Carolina University and completed her doctorate in educational leadership at WCU in 2023.

Dr. Reed was recognized with the Dr. Samuel Houston Leadership Award after completing the 2023 North Carolina School Superintendents Association Aspiring Superintendent program. In 2024, she was named the Asheville Chamber’s Woman Executive of the Year.

Dr. Reed’s contract runs through June 30, 2030.

Source: Buncombe County Schools.