Faculty & Staff

I am a Cleveland County native and a graduate of Burns High School. I graduated from N.C. State University – Go Pack! - with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I have spent 13 years in pharmaceutical and automotive manufacturing, and am now enjoying working in two of my passions – teaching and math!

 In my off time, I love spending time with my wife, Diana and three wonderful kids. I also enjoy traveling, reading, sports, hiking, and playing board games.

Email: dlelliott@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6141

I am originally from the world’s tiniest town in the middle-of-nowhere Pennsylvania, which is where my love for the science of nature began because there was literally nothing else to do! I always wanted to be a teacher, at least until it was time to go to college. I took the long route to education by first earning my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Travel and Tourism from Mansfield University. Upon graduating, I immediately started taking classes to become certified to teach Earth and Space Science and pursue my true passion which is learning and teaching science. I have been teaching for six years now, primarily 8th grade science, which I loved because I got to teach a little bit of all the sciences. I am so excited to be joining the CREW at CECHS this year! I am looking forward to doing lots of lab experiments and hands-on activities, as well as helping my students discover their inner scientist!

In my free time, I enjoy being one with nature and going on adventures with my husband and three daughters. I have a huge appreciation for music and will listen to just about anything! I love to travel almost as much as I love science, so I usually manage to convince my family to go on science-related vacations. I also love to learn, so I spend a lot of my personal time doing professional development. Most recently, I had the opportunity to learn about scientific ocean drilling through the IODP School of Rock and I am also creating digital materials and resources for National Geographic as part of a grant I received. I am your typical crazy science teacher who wears punny science shirts and laughs at my own terrible jokes. I can’t wait to work and learn with you all this year!

Email: mofaucett@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6149

I am a Cleveland County native and graduated from Kings Mountain High School. I have a BA in English Communications, Master’s in Reading Literacy and National Board Certification in Secondary English. I love learning new things, taking classes and continuing my education. I began my career in pharmaceutical sales and after 15 years made the decision to do what I love and teach high school English. This is my fourth year at Cleveland Early College.

I have one daughter and three grandpuppies. I am also Mom to Jackson, a Yorkie and my cats, Beckham and Andy. I enjoy reading, thrift shopping and travel.

Email: esgreenlee@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6154

Hello! I’m excited to join the CECHS family this coming academic year! As a first- generation college graduate, I fully appreciate the goal of enrolled, enlisted, or employed by graduation. Born and raised in Ohio (Go Buckeyes!), I graduated from Austin Peay State University with a BA in English and a minor in secondary education. After teaching in Tennessee and Arkansas, I moved to North Carolina in 2006 where I’ve taught all levels of high school English over the years. I’m a National Board Certified Teacher and a member of the National Council of the Teachers of English, which mostly means I love to learn as much as I love to teach.

Married to my husband, Jeff, for 26 years, we have two children, Catie and Jonathan. Catie is a second-year veterinary student at Mississippi State where she lives with her husband, Jonathan. My son, also named Jonathan, will be a senior this coming year and plays baseball, so you’re likely to find me in the stands of local ballfields throughout the year. My other interests include cooking, reading, traveling, and college sports, especially football and baseball.

Email: lakalmbach@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6148

Originally from South Carolina, I graduated from the University of Georgia, School of Journalism with a BA in Public Relations. After working in corporate and non-profit public relations for several years, I discovered my passion for teaching. I have been an educator since 2000 and have a deep love for reading and writing, and helping students discover their creative potential. I am married with four children and enjoy traveling with my family, reading psychological thrillers, and watching TV. I’m a huge “Stranger Things” fan and love Broadway musicals.

Email: askratzer@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6140

I was born and raised here in Cleveland County. I graduated from Crest High School and entered UNCC with the intention of completing a degree in computer engineering. I soon discovered that it was the mathematics in engineering that attracted me to that major. So, after a slight change of direction and four years later, I graduated with a degree in mathematics and a minor in psychology. I began my teaching career at Burns High School where I taught math for 30 great years. While there, I completed and then renewed my National Board Certification, earned my masters degree in Instructional Technology, and taught everything from PreAlgebra to AP Calculus. I retired from teaching in 2018, but...teaching had not retired from me.

In addition to being a teacher, I am Sharon's blessed husband of 32 years and Bethany and Abigail's very proud father. I love to read and watch Sci-Fi and listen to music from the 80s. I have a Far Side sense of humor, specialize in puns, talk to our three dogs, and I rarely turn down a cup of coffee.

I am fascinated and amazed by the mathematical interconnectedness of the world around us and was created with a desire to share that awareness with young minds.

Email: mlipscomb@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6150

I am a lifelong native of Cleveland County and a graduate from Kings Mountain High School. This will be my first year at CECHS, and I am really excited to be a part of the Viking family. I taught at Kings Mountain High School for 12 years, everything from Personal Finance to Agriculture. I coached baseball, football and swimming during my time there. Before teaching, I worked in finance as an advisor and with AT&T in outside plant design.  

I have been married to my wife Holly for 27 years, and we have 3 terrific children, John, Charlie and Sarah. I also have a beautiful daughter-in-law, Summer, and the sweetest granddaughter ever, Eden. My hobbies include spending time with my family and watching/playing sports. 

Email: jbmelton@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6148

From dinosaur digs in Wyoming, to exploring deep-sea habitats at the bottom of the ocean, exploring science is where I want to be! I love science, and I enjoy sharing science with my students.

 I have studied subseafloor sedimentology in Hawaii, Ancestral Puebloan culture in Colorado, tropical ecology in Belize, archaeology in Montana, space physics and instrumentation on board MAVEN with NASA, engineering at the US Naval Academy, Indigenous Peoples of North Carolina as a UNC World View Global Fellow, and Information Communication Technology with Fulbright Japan. As a Kenan Fellow, I conducted an internship with American Zinc Products, the only facility in the world that produces high-grade zinc made from recycled sources, to learn about sustainability and the application of zinc products.

 I have participated in several at-sea research expeditions, including studying deep-sea coral habitats in the Atlantic Ocean on the R/V Ronald H Brown, and ground-truthing deepwater canyons off the Northeastern coast of the US on board the FSV Henry B Bigelow. I also served as a Science Communication Fellow on Titanic discoverer Dr. Robert Ballard’s research ship the E/V Nautilus, where we explored brine pools in the Gulf of Mexico and transited through the Panama Canal. As a NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow, I conducted a field study in Peru exploring culture, history, and traditions of the Quechuan people, and hiking at several archaeological sites, including the ancient fortress of Ollantaytambo and the sacred city of Machu Picchu.

I have been an educator since 2003, including teaching in Cleveland County Schools, working part-time as a Program Specialist at the Schiele Museum of Natural History, and serving as the Program Manager of Professional Development at the Discovery Place Education Studio. I received my Associate’s degree from Cleveland Community College, and my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Gardner-Webb University. I have certificates in Painting Studies and Natural Science Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design.

I am a National Board Certified Teacher, and also hold NC Environmental Education certification, MakerBot Curriculum Creator certification, and National Geographic Educator certification. I serve on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Science Leadership Association, and have received teaching distinctions including the NCSTA Outstanding Science Teacher Award, NCSMT Outstanding K – 8 Educator Award, and the NC Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Award. I am also a recipient of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award for Science and Mathematics Teachers.

In my down time I enjoy reading, painting, spending time with my family, and exploring nature with my daughter.

Email: bsowens@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6151

I love CECHS!! The Viking family is awesome and being at school is truly my happy place. I am a native of Cleveland County and love to give back through my role as Teaching Assistant. My students are everything to me and I am constantly rewarded by their smiles, achievements and triumphs! Their success is my success. They enrich my life and I am honored to partner in the education of our young people. They are our future.

 I have a lifelong passion for SPANISH! I’ve been studying, learning, and practicing since I was 12 and teaching for 15 years. I instruct Conversational Spanish for Cleveland Community College and help a lot with Spanish here at CECHS.

 I have seven children of my own, three boys and four girls! I had the immense blessing of adopting 6 of them. They range in age from 10-30! And now I am so lucky to have my first grandchild who is a year old! I also have my own jewelry business which I adore. I am passionate about serving and bringing SPARKLE into the lives of others! I am a people person and enjoy anything social, travel, cooking, entertaining (which I mostly do with food lol), music, singing, dancing, laughing, and anything shiny! Oh yes and I am crazy about bees and affectionately call my classroom "The Hive!"  

Email: crphillips@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6131

I am a transplant to Cleveland County as my family hails from Cowpens, South Carolina. I also spent many formative years in Union, SC. My college years were spent majoring in History and Religious Studies at the University of South Carolina and I also completed a significantly large number of graduate hours there in Religious Studies and Philosophy before obtaining my MA with a History concentration at UNC-Wilmington.

As I am lucky enough to work within my vocation, my down time is still spent reading through dense academic texts, writing, researching, and continued contemplation of the big questions of life. I am also something of a weightlifter and enjoy communing with nature. I am part of the Nintendo faithful. I have an on/off relationship with comic books, cartoons, and anime. I am a devoted fan of dialogue heavy sitcoms, silent films, and British television. I’m a fan of just about any type of music, but chances are high that my car radio is tuned in to WDAV, the NPR Classical station. Lastly, as a father, I love introducing these things to my two children, Mycroft and Zelda.

I have been with CCS since 2015 and have spent the majority of my time teaching seventh grade social studies at Shelby Middle School. During my time there I piloted a few middle school level classes in African American Studies, Latin American Studies, and Philosophy. I am very excited to be a part of the CECHS family.

Email: jcwillis@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6142

I was born and raised in Kings Mountain, NC, where I played sports throughout my childhood and was even a part of the 2007 state volleyball championship team. I love sports and continued to play volleyball and softball in college at Winston-Salem State University, where I received my undergraduate degree in Business. I continued my education and earned an MBA and an MPA from Strayer University. I have a two-year-old daughter whom I adore! I love spending time with my family and friends, being near a ballfield, traveling, attending church, and making an impact in my community. I have always had a passion for young people because someone made a huge impact on my life in both middle school and high school. I am also a certified yoga instructor with my own studio and an event planning service. I find pure joy in teaching yoga and watching people grow, as well as planning events and seeing the faces of brides, class reunion attendees, and more. A smile warms my heart, so be light!

Email: lkbell@clevelandcountyschools.org
            belll388@clevelandcc.edu

Phone: (704) 669-4114

Email: mscarpenter@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6152

Hello, I’m Ashley Creighton and I’m very excited to join the CECHS CREW this year! I was formerly at Kings Mountain High School. I am a Cleveland County native. My husband, David and I have been married for 20 years. Our boys are Brice (married to Lexie) and David Lee. I also have two grandchildren, Kinsley and Koen, who are my world. I enjoy spending time with my family camping. I am a hobbyist gardener, I enjoy collecting rare and unique plants. I look forward to meeting everyone and officially becoming a Viking!

Email: ascreighton@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6113

I have 25+ years of experience as a Counselor with 5 years in Agency/Community Mental health before transitioning to a School Counselor with CCS. I started coming to North Carolina from Ohio during my summers in high school in the 1980's, working as a lifeguard and whitewater raft guide in the Nantahala Gorge. The Great Smoky Mountains, WCU and my husband captured my heart giving me some great reasons to make North Carolina my home. I graduated from Western Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology with a Minor in Criminal Justice. I completed my Master of Arts in Agency Counseling with an add-on School Counseling certification from Gardner-Webb University. My hobbies include reading, hiking, baking, and family fun activities.

Email: jhux@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6130

I was born and raised in Orlando, Florida and graduated from the University of Central Florida. I have my Master's and Bachelor’s degrees in Exceptional Student Education. I have been working in the field of education for over 19 years. I have taught students in grades K-12, students with mild to severe disabilities, and children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. I love teaching and find it a very rewarding experience. It can be challenging at times, but my philosophy has always been that all students can learn; we as educators just need to find the best way to teach them. On a personal note, I have been married for 19 years and have two daughters, a 10 year old and a 21 month old. I have lived in several different states; due to my husband's career, but most recently moved to Kings Mountain and am enjoying exploring the Carolinas.

Email: aljohnson@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6111

My family and I moved to Cleveland County in 2000. I grew up in Hendersonville, NC, and graduated from Hendersonville High School. I had the awesome experience of attending Greensboro College at the age of 16. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Legal Administration. I met my husband while working at Camp Tekoa. We have been married for 30 years. We have 2 girls who both graduated from Appalachian State University. Outside of work I enjoy reading, knitting, walking, and camping.

Email: lwmitchell@clevelandcountyschools.org

Extension: 6105

I am married to my husband of 16 years, Lamar Woods. We have a beautifully blended family with 9 children combined. I am from Cleveland County and have worked for CCS for several years. I love the family atmosphere that we have here are CECHS!

I am a licensed Cosmetologist and my hobbies are reading, traveling and spending time with my family, especially my 15 grandchildren!

Email: pmwoods@clevelandcountyschools.org