Fayetteville, N.C. -- The Educational Resource Center (ERC), located at 396 Elementary Dr. in Fayetteville has been renamed in honor of Dr. William "Bill" Harrison, the former superintendent of CCS.
Principals, Board of Education members, district staff, elected officials, retired personnel who served with Dr. Harrison as well as some of his family and friends were in attendance at the renaming ceremony held on Tuesday, June 13.
Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr., presented Dr. Harrison with a plaque. "Today, we stand on the shoulders of Dr. Harrison's remarkable legacy." he said. "His tireless efforts, vision and passion have transformed the lives of countless students, educators and families in our community."
Remarks and reflections were shared by many in attendance, including Board Chairwoman Deanna Jones. "On behalf of the Board of Education, I extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Harrison for his exemplary service and profound impact on our district." said Jones.
Harrison spoke candidly about the significance of speaking at this building today. " ... this is more special to me than a school would have been ... because of my history with it and because how important I think professional development is," he said.
Dr. Harrison began teaching in Fayetteville, N.C. after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Intermediate Education from Methodist College in 1974. His work began at Vanstory Elementary School in 1974. The long-time educator later taught in the Fayetteville/Cumberland County area and worked as the CCS Superintendent starting in August 1997 and served until March 2009. He was appointed by the governor to serve as the chairman of the North Carolina Board of Education from 2009 to 2012. He then served as Interim Superintendent, and Superintendent of the Alamance-Burlington County School system, and retired in 2018. In total, Dr. Harrison served the CCS students and the Fayetteville community for 26 years.
The Cumberland County Board of Education approved changing the name of the ERC to the Dr. William "Bill" Harrison Educational Resource Center at its meeting on Feb. 14.
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