T.C. Leadership Team

Read about the new leadership team that is in place for the 2017-18 school year. View the new organizational structure.

King Street and Minnie Howard Campuses

Principal

Peter Balas

Director of Athletics and Student Activities

James Parker

Director of Counseling

Melissa Deak

King Street Campus

Lead Administrator for Operations and Student Services

Tammy Ignacio

Lead Administrator for Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment 9-12

Cheryl Mills

Administrators for School Improvement

Jessica Hillery

Academy 1

Carlos Gonzalez

Academy 2 

Chris Thompson

Academy 3

Carlton Carter

Academy 4

Fredericka Smith

Academy 5

Kathy Taylor

Academy 6

Maggie Tran

International Academy

Administrators for Instruction and Student Support

Academy 7

Kristen McInerney

Academy 8

Maria Faz 

Minnie Howard Campus 

Lead Administrator for Campus Operations and Student Support

Mark Eisenhour

Administrators for Instruction and Student Support

Academy 9

Robert Bowes

Academy 10

Kelly Davis

T.C. Leadership Team

King Street and Minnie Howard Campuses 

Principal

Peter Balas

Balas has spent the last 15 years of his career with ACPS, including time as an academic principal and executive associate principal for curriculum and instruction at T.C. Williams. He left T.C. to transform Mount Vernon Community School into Alexandria’s first full K-5 dual language program school. Prior to becoming an administrator, he was a social studies teacher at Minnie Howard.

Balas holds a bachelor’s degree in history and social science from Hofstra University, a master’s in curriculum and instruction and a master’s in educational leadership, both from George Mason University.

Director of Athletics and Student Activities

This position oversees all extracurricular activities as well as athletic teams, training and competitive games at King Street and Minnie Howard campuses and the middle schools. 

James Parker

Director of Counseling

This position oversees all comprehensive school counseling services for all students in grades 9 - 12, including supporting students' academic, post-secondary readiness, and social and emotional wellness. This role also leads the college and career center services for all students. 

Melissa Deak

Lead Administrator for Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment 9-12

This position supports teachers in their instruction, monitoring curriculum pacing, and launching professional learning communities (PLC) in which teachers will collaboratively plan their lessons around common assessments and collect and analyze data to develop strategies for re-teaching.  

Cheryl Mills

Cheryl Mills brings more than 33 years of educational experience, 12 years from New York City public schools and 21 years from Prince William County public schools. During these years, Mrs. Mills has been a part of all school leadership teams. She has been an assistant principal and has worked as teacher, PLC lead, grade level lead, science lead, and special education teacher. Due to her expertise and love of science, she was chosen to lead a group of students to find solutions to Bioterrorism. This program was designed and sponsored by DTRA (Defense Threat Reduction Agency), which was the first of its kind in the Prince Williams County school division.

Among her list of accomplishments, Mills has received numerous awards and nominations such as Teacher of the Year, Courageous Generational Leadership, and Excellence in Science.

She holds a bachelor’s in Biology from Fisk University, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from City University of New York, certification in Administration and Supervision from George Mason University, and a VA post graduate professional license that includes endorsements in Administration and Supervision PREK-12, Biology, Emotional Disturbance K-12, and Specific Learning Disabilities K-12.

Mrs. Mills presently resides in Fredericksburg with her husband of 34 years. They have one son and a two-year-old grandchild who is the apple of their eyes.

Minnie Howard Campus

Lead Administrator for Campus Operations and Student Support

This position is responsible for all aspects around the daily operations of the Minnie Howard campus and ensures a positive and supportive school culture where teachers and students can thrive. 

Mark Eisenhour

Eisenhour’s role connects students to the academic curriculum through engagement in extracurricular activities and aims to instill values of pride, teamwork and determination beyond the classroom. 

Eisenhour has been a student, parent, coach, teacher and administrator with ACPS. A T.C. Williams graduate, Eisenhour began his teaching career in 1992 and in 2000 became an administrator at Minnie Howard. Since then, he has held a number of administrative positions at Mount Vernon Community School, Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 School and T.C. 

Eisenhour helped to establish the International Academy at T.C. He is also a founding member of the Athletic Hall of Fame and chair of the selection committee.

Administrators for Instruction and Student Support

These administrators lead smaller learning communities of students in which they support students' academic progress, attendance, behavior, and social-emotional needs. Additionally, each administrator provides instructional leadership to one department in the school.   

Robert Bowes

As an administrator at Minnie Howard, Bowes supports students as they begin their journeys along college or career pathways and ensures teachers are supported in providing quality instructional programs for all students. Ninth grade is a critical transitional year for students. A successful freshman year can set the tone for the rest of a student’s high school journey. Bowes will work to ensure student and teacher success.

Bowes is entering his second year at ACPS, having first served as a teacher and administrator at Minnie Howard. An educator for 34 years, Bowes, is still passionate about education and is proud of all the students who continually come back and thank the people who helped them along the way. Prior to joining ACPS, Bowes served as a teacher, an assistant principal, a principal and director of data for districts in southern Maryland and South Carolina. 

Bowes holds a bachelor's in elementary education from the University of Maryland, a master's in program management from Florida Institute of Technology, and a master's in administration and supervision from Charleston Southern University.

Kelly Davis

At the Minnie Howard campus, Davis works closely with students and teachers to help facilitate a smooth freshman transition in a small team environment.

Davis has been with ACPS for seven years, most recently as an assistant principal at TC Williams King Street Campus working with the English department and the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. This includes (ROTC, culinary, early childhood education and marketing). Prior to that, Davis served as an assistant principal at Jefferson-Houston and as a dean of students at T.C.

Davis holds a bachelor’s degree in English from West Virginia State University and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Colorado at Denver and has studied principal preparation at Denver University.

King Street Campus

Lead Administrator for Operations and Student Services

This position is responsible for all aspects around the daily operations of the King Street campus and ensures a positive and supportive school culture where teachers and students can thrive.

Tammy Ignacio

Ignacio oversees the daily operations, budget and student support for the King St. Campus, supporting the Principal and staff as well as students and their families with an open-door policy. 

A long time veteran of ACPS, Ignacio has been with ACPS for 26 years, 12 of which were spent in leadership positions at T.C. Williams, as assistant and executive associate principal. She has also served as an assistant principal at James K. Polk Elementary School. Ignacio has also served as acting director of employment services, chief administrative officer and chief of staff at Central Office.

Ignacio holds a bachelor's degree in education from Fairmont State University and a master’s in school leadership from George Mason University.  

Administrators for Instruction and Student Support

These administrators lead smaller learning communities of students in which they support students' academic progress, attendance, behavior, and social-emotional needs. Additionally, each administrator provides instructional leadership to one department in the school.   

Academy 1

Carlos Gonzalez

Gonzalez supports a diverse learning community of students in grades 10 through 12 and teachers in the fine and performing arts, as well as world languages. Gonzales served as the director of bands at T.C. Williams for the past five years, where he worked to foster a safe learning environment where students are both pushed and nurtured to be not only the best musicians they can be, but also the best people they can be.  

Gonzales holds a bachelor's of music from James Madison University and Master of Education in Supervision and Instruction from the University of Virginia.

Academy 2 

Florida native Chris Thompson joined ACPS in fall 2018 as the Administrator for Instruction and Student Support.

Thompson previously served as the inaugural principal of Lincoln-West School of Science and Health and as the principal intern at Excel High School in Boston. At Excel, he transformed the learning environment by bridging gaps, emphasizing academic achievement and integrating opportunities for creative expression. He was also responsible for the administration of math and science divisions, supervising personnel, managing budgets and policies, leading organizational direction, using analytics to drive curriculum decisions and supporting the school’s vision of excellence.

Prior to becoming an educational administrator, Mr. Thompson taught special education, AP government, and economics and served in leadership roles including department and committee chairs. He was also instrumental in implementing successful new programs and merit/recognition systems for teachers, developing several programs that went on to make a significant difference for at-risk students, increasing family engagement, and improving standardized test scores.

Mr. Thompson also served in the United States Marine Corps and Air Force Reserves for eight years in legal clerk and HR management roles. In addition, he has served as a legislative analyst for the U.S. House of Representatives and worked as a job coach and staff administrator for a career development and employment program for at-risk youth in the DC metro area.

Mr. Thompson holds a bachelor degree from Florida Gulf Coast University, Master of Education from George Washington University and a Master of Arts in School Leadership from Harvard University. 

Academy 3

Carlton Carter

New to ACPS, Carter is highly accomplished in the field of education. He led a middle school from alternative governance to making annual yearly progress (AYP) within two years. As a turnaround consultant, he guided over 30 schools throughout the United States from priority status to good standing. He has also authored four instructional modules on “How to Give Effective Feedback and How to Increase the Level of Rigor in Classroom Instruction." 

Carter holds a bachelor's degree in technology education from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a master’s in administration and supervision from Bowie State University, and is preparing to defend his dissertation for his doctorate in educational leadership at Northcentral University.

Academy 4

Fredericka Green Smith

Smith collaborates with teachers within the Science Department to provide students with research-based instruction that ensures student success in science and collaborates with her learning community team to ensure that students have the support structures they need to successfully matriculate through and graduate from high school. 

Smith continues to build productive relationships with students, parents and staff members as we create and provide a positive learning experience for our students.

Smith holds a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Science from the College of Charleston.

Academy 5

Kathy Taylor

Taylor supports students as they pursue their high school career and transition to post-secondary experiences that include career and college opportunities. She also works with the English Department and the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program. 

Taylor has been with ACPS for 23 years, including time in the classroom as a special education teacher at Minnie Howard. She also held leadership positions at Francis C. Hammond Middle School and William Ramsay Elementary School and has been an academic principal at T.C. Williams.

Taylor holds a bachelor’s in political science, a master's in education with a concentration in Special Education, an administration certification and a Virginia postgraduate professional license.

Academy 6

Maggie Tran

Tran will provide support for teachers in the social studies department that will allow them to maximize student learning by working in collaboration with guidance counselors, social workers and other ACPS professionals in order to provide individualized support for each student. 

Tran is new to ACPS this year, but has lived in Alexandria for many years. Tran brings many years of education experience, 18 years from Fairfax County Public Schools and 22 years of teaching AP U.S. History. She was most recently at McLean High School as a Social Studies Teacher and Department Chair. 

Tran holds a bachelor’s in history/education from Appalachian State University, a master’s in Social Foundations of Education from the University of Virginia and an education specialist degree in administration from Virginia Tech.  

International Academy

Administrators for Instruction and Student Support

These administrators lead smaller learning communities of students in which they support students' academic progress, attendance, behavior, and social-emotional needs. Additionally, each administrator provides instructional leadership to one department in the school.  

Kristen McInerney

McInerney is new to ACPS and brings experience as a Spanish teacher and an Assistant Principal of Instruction in Chesapeake Public Schools in Chesapeake, VA.

In her new role, McInerney uses her previous teaching and administrative experiences to tap into students’ resilience, potential, and global perspectives to improve outcomes for English Learners. 

McInerney is currently working towards an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at George Washington University with a focus in instruction, programming and policy for English Learners. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Education and Spanish from Niagara University and a master’s in Educational Leadership and Administration from the George Washington University. 

Maria Faz

Faz works with International Academy students and staff to nurture college and career readiness skills and ensure unparalleled academic and student success.

Faz is new to ACPS and brings a wealth of experience from Fairfax County Public Schools, where she has held leadership positions at the middle and high school levels since 2001. Faz also spent a number of years in the classroom, teaching Spanish, English and reading. 

Faz holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas, a master’s in administration from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s in education leadership from George Mason University.