Nicole Priestly, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Nicole Priestly serves as the Director of Education Leadership Programs at Queens University of Charlotte, where she leads the design and implementation of innovative leadership development initiatives for aspiring and current school leaders. In this role, she directs the School Executive Leadership Academy (SELA). This year-long program equips principal interns across Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools with the tools, mindsets, and networks needed to drive transformative change in their school communities.
With a career rooted in public education, Nicole has served as a teacher, school leader, and district-level (cabinet member) administrator, bringing deep experience in instructional leadership, talent development, and systems-level school improvement. She has worked in public education for over 30 years in large urban school districts, including Montgomery County Public Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Wake County Public Schools, and San Francisco Unified School District. Her leadership has consistently centered on student advocacy, equity, and building the capacity of leaders to create environments where every student can thrive. Nicole is known for cultivating collaborative learning communities that inspire bold vision, data-driven decision making, and sustainable results.
Nicole’s work is grounded in her core values of integrity, success for all, powerful leadership, and unwavering student advocacy. She believes leadership is not about position but about impact—and that
every decision should elevate students and empower those who serve them. These values underpin her commitment to developing the next generation of school leaders who will shape the future of education
across North Carolina.
As a partner to the Belk Foundation, Nicole views her role as a strategic lever for advancing the foundation’s mission to ensure all students have access to excellent educational opportunities. Through SELA and other executive programs at Queens, she is cultivating a diverse pipeline of highly effective school leaders who are prepared to champion educational excellence, dismantle barriers to learning, and
drive equitable student outcomes at scale.
Nicole holds a doctorate from the University of Maryland, College Park, as well as a B.S. and a Master’s from the University of South Carolina.