Board of Directors and Staff

We are grateful for the leadership of the individuals who serve on our Board of Directors:

Dr. Trey Adcock, Center for Native Health and University of North Carolina-Asheville, Asheville, North Carolina

Dr. Elizabeth City, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Wendy Ikoku, Asheville, North Carolina

Jan Leight, Long Beach, California

Mike Smith, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Dr. George Wood, Federal Hocking, Ohio School District, Amesville, Ohio

NPC Staff

Our core staff, Terry Roberts and Jeremy Spielman, work with a network of educators to support Paideia work around the United States and in select schools abroad.

Dr. Terry Roberts, Director

Dr. Terry Roberts has been at the National Paideia Center since 1992 and has served as its Director since 1993. Prior to that, he was Assistant Director for the Principals' Executive Program, where he taught a wide variety of courses related to Instructional Leadership. He is a practicing scholar of American Literature and Cultural Studies, with a strong penchant for the classics, and holds a Ph.D. in American Literature from the University of North Carolina. He is fascinated by the social and intellectual power of dialogue to teach and to inspire. Terry is the lead author of several Paideia publications, including The Paideia Classroom and Teaching Critical Thinking, and in 2019 authored The New Smart: How Nurturing Creativity Will Help Children Thrive.

Contact Terry at Troberts@Paideia.org.

Dr. Jeremy Spielman, Assistant Director

Jeremy Spielman is an experienced teacher, principal, system administrator, and school-transformation agent. His educational philosophy is founded on asking questions rather than forcing answers, and on building consensus rather than driving an agenda. Before joining the National Paideia Center in 2017, Jeremy served as Asheville (NC) City Schools' Director of Professional Development, Digital Learning, and Gifted Programming. Previously, Jeremy served schools across the state as a District and School Transformation Coach with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. As a scholar-practitioner, Jeremy is focused on how we become better active listeners. He completed his doctoral degree in Educational Systems Improvement Science from Clemson University.  

Contact Jeremy at Jeremy@Paideia.org 

Holly Griffin, Office Manager

Holly Griffin has just joined The National Paideia Center as the new Office Manager. Holly
brings over ten years of experience in education, including her most recent role as a
Reading Specialist. Throughout her career, Holly has focused on building strong relationships, organizing systems that support meaningful work, and leading initiatives that make a lasting impact. Holly is passionate about helping teams run smoothly and is a vital asset in supporting Paideia’s mission and connecting with our partners.

Contact Holly at Holly@Paideia.org.