Dr. Joe Ferrell was named as Ms. Taylor's successor in July 2011. At the time of his appointment, he had served as principal at Eastern Guilford Middle School since 2004, and had served as principal at Hunter Elementary School in Greensboro. In Person County, he taught at the elementary and middle school levels, and served as an assistant principal at Northern Middle School in Roxboro. Ferrell holds degrees from Elon University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.