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About CIS Rowan

Communities In Schools of Rowan County is an affiliate of Communities In Schools, Inc. (CIS), the nation’s leading community-based organization helping young people stay in school and prepare for life. CIS of Rowan County began in 1998 and was chartered in 2001, and serves selected schools in the Rowan-Salisbury Schools district.

Our Mission: "To surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life."
Many students and their families have a hard time accessing and navigating the maze of public and private services. There may be ample resources in a community, but rarely is there someone on the ground who is able to connect these resources with the schools and students that need them most. Through our school-based coordinators, we bring community resources into the schools we serve to empower success for all students by removing barriers for students at risk of dropping out, keeping kids in schools and on the path to graduation and leveraging evidence, relationships and local resources to drive results.  Communities In Schools offers in-school mentoring and tutoring, supportive guidance to students and parents, school uniforms and supplies, referrals to community agencies and assistance with 'emergency' clothing for students at the elementary schools.
CIS Rowan Board of Directors

Michelle Macon, Chair

Robert Foreman, Vice Chair

Donna Seaford, Treasurer

Misty Fisher, Secretary

Karen Alexander

Robert Basinger

Vincia Benjamin Miller

William Bucher

Brandy Cook

Dixie Dalton

Carol Ann Houpe

Dr. Orlando Lewis

Kris Parker

April Gaither 

Deja Garlin 

Daniel C. Potts  

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Executive Director James Davis

James has more than nineteen years of experience as an educator/social services leader in North and South Carolina with a consistent record of increasing student engagement, family involvement and student achievement. Over the last eight years he has led several multi-services organizations as the director of programming and operations and personnel and fundraising relations.  James joined CIS Rowan in February, 2021 and was selected by the Board of Directors to lead the organization  in June of the same year.

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Program Manager & Volunteer Trainer  Wanda Huntley

Site Coordinators

Meet Our Site Coordinators

CIS Site Coordinators are based at their assigned schools, and can be reached during school hours.

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