Staff

“Carpe Diem” which translates to Seize the Day, is the motto for Dr. Adrian Anthony. He is a native of the Tampa Bay area and is the son of an Air Force veteran and a University of South Florida graduate. Dr. Anthony comes from a lovingly quirky blended family that continues to support him through his educational journey. Additionally, Dr. Anthony has a plethora of educational achievements including a Specialist degree in Educational Leadership (Ed.S.) from National-Louis University and a Masters of Business Administration degree (MBA) from Florida A&M University. Dr. Anthony is a proud graduate of the University of South Florida with a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership with a cognate in Special Education. Furthermore, Dr. Anthony has maintained a successful teaching career and was honored by Hillsborough County's Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) as the “New Teacher of the Year!” He has had the privilege of being a teacher, graduation coach/dropout prevention specialist, and a school-based assistant principal and principal within multiple settings including elementary school, middle school, high school, and educational center. He also led a 5 million dollar initiative to transform the lowest-performing elementary schools in Florida as a District Title I Coordinator in Pinellas County School District. Dr. Anthony has enjoyed serving the Florida community with Chaire's Masonic Lodge #259 and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Dr. Anthony also had the privilege of managing federal governmental policy grants at the United States Department of Education (USDOE) within the Office of Special Education Programs [OSEP] in Washington, D.C., under the Obama administration as a doctoral intern. In addition, he coordinated the Gulf Coast Partnership Principal preparation grant in conjunction with the University of South Florida. Prior to his career in education, he led multiple Fortune 500 initiatives with Nestle-Purina in Barcelona Spain, Armstrong World Industries in Philadelphia, PA, and Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company in Indianapolis, IN. Dr. Anthony loves spending quality time with his wife and "Brady Bunch" family. His goal is to change the world by increasing equitable access for all children through high-quality education and strategic college, career, and life planning!

Mrs. Williams was born and raised in River Rouge, Michigan, a small city outside of Detroit. She graduated from River Rouge High School with honors in 1997 and moved to Tallahassee, FL to pursue her dream of attending an HBCU. Mrs. Williams is a proud alum of Florida A & M University, where she majored in Elementary Education. After returning from student teaching in Germany in 2011, she taught briefly in the small town she called home, before moving back to Florida. Rashawn taught grades 3-5 at Cleveland Court Elementary for 11 years before moving to the United Arab Emirates to put her ESOL credentials to work. This worldwide experience gave Mrs. Williams a global perspective on education and prepared her for the work of teaching non-English speakers. While in Abu Dhabi, she embraced the culture and the opportunity to obtain her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from American College of Education. Four years later, Mrs. Williams returned to Polk County where she took on a new role of implementing a federal grant that supports first year teachers in our district. For the past 4 years, Mrs. Williams has worked as an i3 Mentor and a District Instructional Coach for grades K-8. She believes in empowering teachers because, ultimately, teachers are on the front lines impacting students daily. It was through being a district coach that she was able to work with and support teachers, students, and staff at 18 different schools around Polk County during the last 4 years. She brings with her a love of literacy and a belief that all students deserve a high- quality education, no matter where they live in the world. Mrs. Williams is married and has 3 children who all attend Polk County Schools. Her favorite quote is: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” ~Mahta Gandhi