Secondary Learning Community

Before becoming Associate Superintendent of High Schools, Dr. Sherry Eppelsheimer served as principal at Wando High School, one of the largest schools in the state, for the last seven years. A career educator, Eppelsheimer began her service to students in 1989 in Greenwood School District 50 at Greenwood High School in Greenwood, SC. She taught English for 14 years at Greenwood while also holding an adjunct teaching position at nearby Piedmont Area Consortium and Piedmont Technical College. In 2003, Eppelsheimer used her talents in the classroom to further her impact with students by becoming an instructional specialist at Brewer Middle School before being named Director of the ELA Vertical Team and served as the Summer Enrichment and Intervention Director from 2006-2008.

After nearly 20 years of service in Greenwood, Eppelsheimer left the Midlands for the Lowcountry, taking an assistant principal position as Wando High School in Mt. Pleasant, SC. It was only a short time before Eppelsheimer was promoted from assistant principal to associate principal at Wando where she continued to grow her leadership skills while assisting in all areas of high school management, administration, and daily activities. A demonstrated leader, in 2015, Eppelsheimer was named interim principal of Wando High after long-time Wando High School Principal Lucy Beckham took the role of Executive Principal of East Cooper Schools. As interim principal, Eppelsheimer planned and directed the overall activities of a high school serving 3,500 students with nearly 300 staff members. She oversaw recruitment, hiring and retention, professional development, faculty and staff evaluations, fiscal management, administration organization, student discipline, program initiatives, and team building. She was promoted to the position permanently one year later in 2016.

Eppelsheimer holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Lander University and a Master of Education in Secondary Guidance and Counseling from Clemson University. She completed her EDLP certification and earned a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Carolina. Recognized for her outstanding leadership and talents, Eppelsheimer is the recipient of several awards including the Greenwood County and District 2 Business and Professional Women’s Young Careerist of the Year Award (1995), Greenwood High School Teacher of the Year (1994-95), WYFF Channel 4 Golden Apple Teacher Award (1998), Greenwood School District 50 and Greenwood County Star Teacher Award (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004), Brewer Middle School Teacher of the Year Award (2006-07), and the South Carolina Librarian Association Intellectual Freedom Award (2019). She also serves on the East Cooper Medical Center Governing Board.

Rich Gordon is the Executive Director of Career and Technology Education (CTE) in the Charleston County School District.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Rutgers University followed by a Master of Education in Teaching and Curriculum from Harvard, a Master of Education in Secondary Education from Charleston Southern, and an Educational Specialist Degree in School Systems, Superintendency, and Leadership from Webster.

Rich and served as a math and computer science teacher at George Washington High School in Denver, CO and Academic Magnet High School in Charleston, SC. He was also an Assistant Principal and Principal at James Island Charter High School before his current assignment. As the Executive Director of Career and Technology Education, his passion is to prepare students to be college and career ready by providing rigorous and relevant academic, technical, and employability training for a wide variety of high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand careers.

Rich also served his country in two tours of active duty military service during 2003-2004 and 2012-2013. He currently serves as the Battalion Commander of the 751st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion in the South Carolina Army National Guard.

Trevor Strawderman joined Charleston County School District in 2019 as an Executive Director of the Secondary Learning Community primarily overseeing North Charleston High School and their athletic Department. He has been in education for 27 years with 20 of those years as an educational administrator. During his educational tenure, he served as a special education teacher, men's varsity basketball and football coach, assistant principal, and principal. He was nominated and served on the South Carolina Board of Education in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, he was named the South Carolina 4-AAAA High School Principal of the Year by the South Carolina Athletic Administrators Association.

Cumback has served in Charleston County schools for the past 18 years, most recently as the principal of West Ashley High School (WAHS) since 2019.

During his tenure at WAHS, he increased enrollment by nearly 400 students, leading a transformation for the school and the West Ashley community. Under his leadership, WAHS established a partnership with the College of Charleston to enhance educational opportunities and resources. His tenure saw a 29 percent increase in students scoring a C or higher on the Algebra 1 End-of-Course (EOC) exam and led the US History program to achieve the highest EOC scores in the state among comparable schools. His efforts significantly boosted graduation rates, surpassing 80 percent in three out of four years - a milestone achieved only four times in the school’s 24-year history.

Prior to his time at WAHS, he served as the principal of Moultrie Middle School for three years. During his tenure at Moultrie, he transformed the school into the top-ranked neighborhood middle school in the state within just three years. He established and fostered Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), directly impacting academic growth and achievement among students. In his final year at Moultrie, 95 percent of all students met their SC READY progress goals, and 100 percent of students identified as being in the bottom 20 percent academically met their SC READY progress goals, demonstrating exceptional educational progress.

Before becoming the principal at Moultrie, he was the associate principal of curriculum and instruction at WAHS and served as the assistant principal overseeing ninth and tenth grade students, the Science Department, Math Department, and the Fine Arts Department. His responsibilities included overseeing the implementation of EEDA At-Risk and SC School Climate grants, supporting induction teachers, conducting formal teacher observations and evaluations, administering state tests, acting as grants liaison, providing professional development, coordinating 504 plans, analyzing academic and behavioral data, and serving as Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) chair.

Cumback received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Western Michigan University and a Master of Secondary Educational Administration from The Citadel. He was the recipient of the 2010 South Carolina Department of Education “Initiative Award” for WAHS’s CATS Program and was named Charleston County School District’s High School Star Principal of the Year for the 2022-2023 school year.