For Dr. Judy Grissom, her current role as the 4th superintendent of the Rowan-Salisbury School System is a dream come true. Dr. Grissom is a native of Rowan County and graduated from North Rowan High School. While the journey to the top job in Rowan County has been filled with curves and unexpected turns, it really is true that all roads lead to home. After graduating from North Rowan, Grissom obtained her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Upon receiving her degree, she began her long and distinguished career in education in the Greensboro City Schools. While there, she went on to complete her master’s degree in curriculum and early childhood, also at UNCG. In 1981, Dr. Grissom began the first leg of her adventure back to her roots by becoming a supervisor in the Rowan County Schools. During the same time, Dr. Grissom both earned her doctorate in curriculum and supervision from UNCG and served as an adjunct professor at Catawba College where she taught courses in gifted education. Dr. Grissom continued to move up through the ranks of the Rowan County Schools, serving as director of staff development and gifted education, and as the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
However, yet another change of direction was about to occur. The mid-90s brought Dr. Grissom to East Forsyth High School in Winston-Salem, where she served as principal for three years. By 1998, word of Dr. Grissom’s talent had spread. An award-winning educator and a distinguished leader, Dr. Grissom was hired to serve as the associate superintendent for curriculum in the Alamance-Burlington School System–a school system in which she also served a brief stint as interim superintendent. A Fulbright Scholar, the recipient of the Governor’s Award for Excellence, and the winner of the Award for Outstanding Contributions to Gifted Education, Dr. Grissom is a published author and has been involved in nearly every aspect of education. While she admits that her job is her life, she is quick to point out that her family remains a top priority.
She and her husband Eddie, who live near Salisbury, have three grown children,– Daryl, Heidi, and Autumn–but her pride and joy are her grandchildren, Boone, Della Scott, Pandora, Isaac, Mary Kirk, Micah Anne, and Sarah Francis. Dr. Grissom’s journey has now come full-circle. Now the superintendent of the Rowan-Salisbury School System, the board of education believes she will continue to inspire and motivate both staff and students, and spark positive changes in a school system that she says will always hold a special place in her heart.