With school starting this week, the J.O. Combs Unified School District introduced four new members of its leadership team for the 2023-24 school year.
Jennifer Corry is the new director of student services. Corry comes to Combs having worked in public education since 1986. She was a teacher of students with disabilities and those at-risk for 14 years. She worked across the continuum of services in special education and also served as a hearing officer for the State of Illinois for special education and 504 disputes before transitioning to a new role in district leadership as coordinator of administrative services in 2003. In 2014, Corry became director of student services. In her years of district level work, she has overseen a variety of programs and services in the Gilbert Unified, Scottsdale Unified and Higley Unified school districts. Corry has experience in student discipline, hearings, special education, 504 services, prevention programs, health services, policy development, Title IX, homebound, community liaison, as well as crisis and emergency management. In addition, for 20 years Corry has been adjunct faculty in the education graduate program for the University of Phoenix and supervised student teachers and administrative interns.
Nancy Diab Scott is the new coordinator of teaching and learning. Scott brings more than 20 years of education experience to Combs after serving in her most recent role as the executive director of secondary leadership with the Cave Creek Unified School District. Throughout her career, Scott has served as a teacher, Pre-K-12 assistant principal, middle school and high school principal, and district administrator who has developed a deep understanding of the complexities of the education system and is committed to ensuring that every student has access to a high-quality personalized education that will prepare them for a successful future. She has served as the NASSP Middle-Level Lead and has twice been recognized by Grand Canyon University and Horace Mann as a "Principal of the Month." Scott is currently working on her doctorate in educational leadership at Northern Arizona University.
Christine Murphy is the new coordinator of professional learning. Murphy enters this role with 13 years of previous experience as an elementary school teacher with the Queen Creek Unified School District and 10 years with Combs as a K-6 math coach, instructional coach and content coach. During her tenure at Combs, Murphy has played an active role in the development and implementation of the district's modern learning initiative #Forward, and brings a deep understanding of existing best practices as well as new ideas to continue shaping the district's commitment to student-centered learning. Murphy has previously presented at the National Conference of Digital Convergence (NCDC) and the Arizona Association of the Teachers of Mathematics, and was recognized as the J.O. Combs Certified Non-Teacher of the Year in 2018-2019.
Sheryl Pierce is the new principal of Harmon Elementary School. Pierce has more than 23 years of experience in the field of education, having previously worked as a teacher, library media specialist, academic instructional coach and an assistant principal. She worked in partnership with Kansas State University for eight years to train and mentor new teachers to the profession and has over 15 years of experience delivering professional development at both the building and district level. Pierce has over 10 years of experience leading building level MTSS teams in academics and behavior and has supported the School Improvement Team (CNA/IAP) process in her former district as well as in her previous role at Combs. As the most recent instructional coach at Harmon Elementary, she has already established solid relationships with staff, students and parents, and is excited to take on the new role as administrator.
"What an exciting time to welcome such a wide breadth of talent and experience to our leadership team," said Superintendent Dr. Gregory Wyman. "Staff and students alike will surely benefit from their leadership and support, and we look forward to working alongside these talented professionals as we continue to move the district #Forward.
For more information about the J.O. Combs Unified School District, call 480-987-5300 or visit jocombs.org.
