Dr. Freddie Williamson, Superintendent of Public Schools of Robeson County (PSRC), was named the Burroughs Wellcome Fund 2025 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year at an awards presentation and banquet held Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Grandover Resort.

This annual honor is presented jointly by the North Carolina Association of School Administrators (NCASA), the North Carolina School Superintendents' Association (NCSSA) and the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) and includes a $5,000 award to the winner. The state award ceremony and selections process is sponsored by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF).

"In honoring the dedicated leaders vying for the Burroughs Wellcome Fund A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year Award, we celebrate the commitment to excellence in education that shapes the future of our students,” said Dr. Louis Muglia, President and CEO, Burroughs Wellcome Fund. “Their unwavering passion and innovative leadership inspire us all to strive for a brighter tomorrow in our state’s public schools."

Dr. Freddie Williamson has been serving in public education for nearly 40 years and has served as a superintendent in multiple districts throughout North Carolina. He joined PSRC as superintendent in 2021 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon taking over as superintendent, Dr. Willamson quickly worked towards the needs of special education students and the inequities of instructional practices in his school district. His devotion to advocating for under-served students ensured all students in his district received access to high-quality instruction.

“To the Public Schools of Robeson County, what an honor it is to serve that great district as we continue to push forward, and it’s been said so much, … it means a lot that we can serve kids and that we can make a difference in their lives every single day,” said Dr. Williamson.

Jack Hoke, NCSSA’s Executive Director who presented the award, praised Dr. Williamson for his leadership that led to his receiving this state honor for the second time. Dr. Williamson also was the state’s Superintendent of the Year in 2016, while leading Hoke County Schools.

"It is a great honor to present Dr. Freddie Williamson with this award,” Hoke said. “Dr. Williamson has been a champion for children throughout his career as an educator. He is a great professional and held in high regard by those in his community and statewide by his peers."

Dr. Williamson’s efforts to increase opportunities for under-served groups in his district have led to marked improvement. Since the pandemic, PSRC schools showed signs of academic recovery in nearly every subject – with the strongest gains measured in End Of Grade Reading for Grade 3. Notable gains were also found in Reading and Math for grades 3-5.

Dr. Williamson’s leadership and vision has also led PSRC to serve as a pilot for North Carolina with the implementation of a model to enhance school instruction and leadership. In addition, PSRC fosters strong educational partnerships with Robeson Community College and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke to provide students in the district with the best opportunities possible to thrive in a global work environment.

With his many accomplishments and wealth of experience, Dr. Williamson continues to find ways to enhance instruction in his district to create a positive, more inclusive environment that leads to success for all students in his care.

Dr. Williamson continued, “If ever a time in the history of public education that we need to be united – one team, one goal – is now. Not for political reasons, not for recognition, but for the very future of this great nation and the very future of families yet to come.”

As the Burroughs Wellcome Fund 2025 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Williamson will compete at the national level for the Superintendent of the Year Award, to be given at the American Association of School Administrators’ National Conference on Education Mar. 6-8, 2025, in New Orleans, LA.

The 2025 North Carolina Regional Superintendents of the Year, all of whom were nominees for this prestigious state award, were also recognized as such at the Oct. 10 ceremony, thanks to the sponsorship of Scholastic Education:

• Region 1 | Northeast | Dr. Tanya Turner, Perquimans County Schools

• Region 3 | Central | Dr. Eric Bracy, Johnston County Public Schools

• Region 4 | Sandhills | Dr. Freddie Williamson, Public Schools of Robeson County

• Region 5 | Piedmont-Triad | Dr. Aaron Woody, Asheboro City Schools

• Region 6 | Southwest | Dr. Andrew Houlihan, Union County Public Schools

• Region 7 | Northwest | Dr. Aron Gabriel, Newton-Conover City Schools

• Region 8 | Western | Dr. Will Hoffman, Madison County Schools