Deby Mitchell
- Ed.D., Educational Leadership, Appalachian State University
- M.A., School Administration, Appalachian State University
- B.S., Special Education, Appalachian State University
Deby Mitchell joined Lenoir-Rhyne in June 2024 as the director of disability services. Mitchell brings a substantial base of knowledge and experience to her career-long objective of providing all students the support they need to make the most of their education.
Starting as a special education inclusion/resource teacher in Wilkes County, North Carolina, Mitchell worked with students at every grade level, from elementary through high school, across several subject areas, including math, language arts and science. Later, she taught science and social studies in a self-contained special-needs classroom in at West Wilkes Middle School before completing a Master of Arts in school administration in 2010. She served as assistant principal at Mountain View Elementary School in Wilkes County and then as assistant principal at Central Wilkes Middle School.
Later, she then directed federal programs at Millennium Charter Accelerated Academy in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, for two years, but decided she missed working directly with students and returned to the classroom as a resource teacher for exceptional children (EC) at Taylorsville Elementary School in Alexander County.
The move to working in higher education at LR is an exciting next step that will allow her to utilize the full range of her education and experience while maintaining a personal connection with students.