In a unanimous vote, the Neuse Charter School Board of Directors has hired Susan White Pullium as the school’s new Executive Director effective July 1. She is the successor to Dr. Julie Jailall, who announced her retirement earlier this year.
Beginning her career in the classroom as a biology teacher, Ms. Pullium has over two decades of educational and executive service experience in the public sector. She is described as a dynamic and effective leader with proven abilities in managing and implementing positive change in large agencies.
Ms. Pullium served in the Wake County Public School System, where she was responsible for growth and planning. She was director for student assignment and served on the Student Assignment Task Force. In those roles, she oversaw large-scale planning and community engagement efforts, and fostered strong collaboration among business and community partners to develop a long-range growth plan. Pullium began her career as a biology teacher at a charter school in Arizona, and has National Board Certification.
“Ms. Pullium has the perfect blend of experiences in education and industry,” said Board of Directors Vice-Chairperson Dawn Dixon, who led a nationwide search in filling the position for NCS. “It is essential that educational leaders today possess the skills to manage through continuous change and challenges. Her administrative expertise and long standing commitment to educating others will allow her to create a strong strategic direction for Neuse Charter School that will take us to another level of performance.”
Most recently, Pullium served as the Director of Customer Service for the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) and the Director of Strategic Planning, two leadership positions within the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). As the Director of Customer Service for NCTA, she managed the customer service operations and identified contracting and operating efficiencies that yielded $600,000 in annual savings to the department, all while maintaining excellent customer service and meeting all financial obligations.
As the Director of Strategic Planning for NCDOT, Pullium was responsible for the Transportation Planning Branch, Program Development Branch, Educational Initiatives Office and Performance Metrics Management Office. Along with her duties in support of those areas, she led the development of Governor McCrory’s 25-year Vision for North Carolina: Mapping Our Future, in support of the governor’s goal of leveraging infrastructure investments to grow the economy and providing a framework to guide long-range planning and project selection. Pullium also coordinated with local and municipal planning organizations to ensure strategic planning addressed North Carolina’s transportation needs through a multi-modal system that safely and effectively moves people and goods.
Pullium and Chris, her husband of 12 years, reside in Knightdale, and are the proud parents of 11-year-old twin girls. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from Arizona State University, and is currently pursuing her Masters in School Administration with East Carolina University.
