Marcia Barnes • Clay County Progress Melissa Godfrey in the Board of Education meeting room following the announcement of being selected as Clay County Schools new superintendent.
By Marcia Barnes
Staff Writer
Meeting the timeline date in the Clay County Board of Education search for a new school superintendent, the board selected Melissa Godfrey during a Special Called Meeting on Monday, Oct. 30. Chairman Jason Shook called the meeting to order at 6 p.m., then called for a closed session.
The board held a closed session meeting for about 48 minutes before resuming an open meeting to announce Godfrey as Superintendent of Clay County Schools.
Shook said that the entire board was pleased to have outstanding internal and external applicants for the position. In a Clay County Schools media release, Shook said, “We were very pleased with the outstanding quality of the applicants and especially those we chose to interview. In the end, we had nothing but great choices and we found that the best of them included outstanding leaders already serving our schools. We are excited for the future and look forward to Ms. Godfrey leading us there. She is going to be a great superintendent.”
Currently, Godfrey is principal of Hayesville Elementary School. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina - Asheville and received her masters degree at Piedmont College in Early Childhood Education. Godfrey also holds an educational specialist degree from Lincoln Memorial University.
Godfrey has a distinguished background as educator. She is a North Carolina Teaching Fellow, Marble Elementary School Teacher of the Year, Cherokee County Schools Principal of the Year and 2018 Wells Fargo Western Region Principal of the Year.
After the announcement of her selection as superintendent, Godfrey said, “I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity.” Godfrey also said that she honors the work that’s been done.
Godfrey will succeed Interim Superintendent Scotty Penland. Her contract will run from Dec. 1 through June 30, 2027.