Dr. Sharon Contreras is the CEO of The Innovation Project in North Carolina, a collaborative of school districts committed to high academic achievement and equity through innovation. Dr. Contreras has held two superintendencies and is celebrated for implementing policies and practices aimed at improving student life outcomes. In Guilford County, her team expanded access to Advanced Placement courses, career technical education and dual-enrollment programming, preparing students and their parents for the workforce. GCS’ high-impact tutoring initiative and learning hubs are considered a national model. In 2022, the GCS graduation rate reached a high of 91.8%. Contreras was North Carolina PTA’s Superintendent of the Year (2019), was among Triad Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs in 2020 and named to the Business North Carolina Power List 2022.
Sharon Contreras, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer, Innovation Project, North Carolina