Interim Executive Director of Communications Vanessa Denney

A veteran of Charleston County School District, Denney has served CCSD for over 20 years. In that time, she has demonstrated a deep commitment to engaging with partners across the County and to working with students, families, and neighborhoods maintaining a focus on student outcomes. Until August 2022, Denney served as the founding principal at Early College High School (ECHS) which first opened in 2017. In her tenure as principal, she demonstrated expertise in strategic planning and in bringing to life a vision that led to student success. As the principal, she successfully engaged with families and school communities across the district. 

She began her teaching career as a 7th-grade Social Studies teacher, department chair, and grade-level chair at R.D. Schroder Middle School in Hollywood, SC. Next, she became an Instructional Coach and Administrator at Alice Birney Middle School in North Charleston. In an instructional leadership role at Burke High School, she then worked with educators and provided experiences that forged students’ paths to college and careers. As the Secondary Learning Community (SLC) Career and Technology Education (CTE) Coordinator, she engaged local business partners in the creation of opportunities for CCSD students at three high schools: Burke, St. John’s, and RB Stall–resulting in each school earning 100% Work-based Learning rates during Denney’s tenure from 2012-14. While an Assistant Principal at North Charleston High School (NCHS), she expanded CTE offerings to include the addition of four new CTE

completer pathways. Her work as the Graduation Rate Team Chairperson from 2014-16 resulted in a 12.46% increase in NCHS’s graduation rate. 

Denney holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from The College of Charleston, a Master of Education in Elementary Administration, and a certificate in Secondary Administration, both from The Citadel. She also holds a Certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University. In 2022, she was recognized as an Alumna of the Year from the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance at the College of Charleston.