Title: Educational Consultant, Executive Coach

Company: Educational Leadership Consulting, LLC

Location: Greensboro, N.C.

A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Deborah Jones became involved in her profession because she was always interested in education. She worked as a teacher, athletic coach and principal for nearly 30 years with students and adults in grades pre-kindergarten to college, and has always been passionate about her work and the people she has served. Throughout three decades, she has garnered expertise from school improvement, leadership practices and development, executive coaching for school principals and business managers, classroom management and student discipline, school improvement and turnaround, and instructional leadership and reflection. The highlight of Dr. Jones’ career was serving as an executive coach and facilitator for the Sandhills Leadership Academy alternative principal preparation program, teaching junior high and middle school students, and working 11 years as an elementary school principal.

For the past nine years, Dr. Jones serves as an educational consultant and executive coach for Educational Leadership Consulting, LLC. Through this outlet, she coaches principals, conducts classroom observations, goes on school walk-throughs, and provides needs assessment and data analysis. During her work-week, she helps design school improvement plans, provides training and workshops on classroom management and school improvement, as well as instructional leading and monitoring of children of poverty and differentiated instruction. She attributes her success to her early experiences as a student in segregated and desegregated schools, summer employment as a college student in a tobacco factory, and her parents’ expectations and requirement for earning a high school diploma. Dr. Jones also credits receiving an education. She witnessed and experienced the power of education in bringing people together as they prepared for their futures.

Throughout the course of her career, Dr. Jones has worked as a consultant, presenter and trainer for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, program consultant for the Center for School Leadership Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, ABC State assistance team leader for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and principal for the Guilford County Schools. She was an adjunct professor for the Department of Education at Greensboro College and School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, principal and assistant principal for the Guilford County Schools and Greensboro City Schools, and teacher, athletic coach and mentor with the Greensboro City Schools. In five years, Dr. Jones intends to build her business outside of North Carolina and conduct more workshops and speaking engagements.