Dr. Lynn Moody was sworn in as superintendent for the Rowan-Salisbury School System with her right hand on two books. One was a Bible, the other was a book of biblical stories that belonged to her great-grandmother.
Board of Education members who attended the official welcoming reception Thursday hope that, just like the book, Moody will leave a legacy.
Though she’s been acting as Rowan-Salisbury’s superintendent since Oct. 1, local educators finally got to put a face to the name as they wished Moody well in her new career.
She is no stranger to the leadership role. In her seven-year run as superintendent of Rock Hill School System in South Carolina, Moody brought the district success and prosperity.
Dr. Richard Miller, chair of Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education, noted that Salisbury and Rock Hill share a similar socioeconomic profile, and he hopes that Moody will have a similar impact on Rowan-Salisbury.
Moody said her first goal as superintendent is to get to know the community. At this stage in the game, she said, it’s important to know what Rowan-Salisbury’s bragging rights are, and which areas the community wants to improve. She hopes to evaluate Rowan-Salisbury’s greatest needs and have a strategic plan ready before the system’s budget is due in late spring.
Vice Chair of the Board of Education Kay Wright Norman said she thought that Moody was a good fit for the system.
“There are a lot of changes that are taking place in education all the time,” Norman said, “Politically, the climate is changing. We wanted to be sure we had a superintendent who could face those changes,”
So far, Moody seems up to the task. As superintendent, she’s starting out with several challenges. One is that several Rowan-Salisbury schools have new principals. Norman says she sees this as an opportunity for Moody and the principals to start something fresh and new.
Moody’s mother, Marilyn Pergerson, thinks her daughter will enjoy the challenge.
Pergerson, of Greensboro, used to be an educator herself, and she believes Moody is prepared — not only due to her extensive experience, but because “she grew up knowing what it was like to be in the school system.”
Educators, elected officials and others came to the reception to wish Moody well in her new job. Miller said he thought the attendance represented a nice cross-section of the community, and took it as a good sign. Miller said he believes that Moody will do well as superintendent.
“We certainly got the right person for the time,” Miller said.