Catawba County Schools

Catawba County Schools Announces New Director, Assistant Director

CCS Employees Promoted to District Posts

NEWTON, January 23, 2023 -- Catawba County Schools Superintendent Dr. Matt Stover announced two new district appointments. Mr. Allen Ramsey was named Director of Accountability and Student Information, and Mr. Devin Houston was named Assistant Director of Maintenance, effective March 1, 2023. The school board confirmed the positions on Monday night at their regular Board of Education meeting. 

Allen Ramsey has served as Principal at Balls Creek Elementary since 2020 and as Assistant Principal of Balls Creek since 2014, where he facilitated student testing to evaluate student performance and led staff development. His passion for helping students achieve has its roots in the classroom. He served as a Mathematics teacher at Bandys High School for ten years before becoming an administrator. Ramsey taught mathematics exclusively after receiving his BS in Mathematics Education from Appalachian State in 1997. He also has a Master's degree in School Administration from Gardner Webb University.  Relationship building, program development, and management are strengths of this seasoned professional. Ramsey will assume the Director of Accountability and Student Information position vacated by Kelly Rhoney, a long-time CCS Employee retiring at the end of February. 

“I am looking forward to serving Catawba County Schools as the Director of Accountability and Student Services,” notes Ramsey.  “I am excited to partner with individual schools and the district office to continue improving our students' overall educational experiences. I plan on using my 25 years of experience as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, and principal to positively impact instruction and learning.”

Devin Houston, a proven leader with strong relationship and team-building abilities, has served Catawba County Schools in various roles over the past 15 years. He has served as a math and social studies teacher at River Bend and Mill Creek Middle Schools. Most recently, Houston has been a health/physical education teacher at Mill Creek, where he served as athletic director and the head football coach, girls' basketball, and boys' basketball coach.

Houston spent ten summers working for the CCS maintenance department. In addition, he has taught drivers’ education at Bandys High School while serving as the drivers’ education coordinator. A graduate of Bandys High School, Houston completed his undergraduate studies at Appalachian State University. 

Upon his appointment to his new position as Assistant Director of Maintenance, Houston said, “I am extremely honored and proud for the opportunity to serve CCS as the Assistant Director of Maintenance. I believe that our maintenance team is instrumental to the success of our students and teachers. I look forward to working with our maintenance team to keep our schools a great place for kids to grow and learn.” 

“We are thrilled to have these outstanding professionals move to new positions within CCS,” stated Dr. Stover, Superintendent. “Their passion for making education better will serve our students, parents, and staff well as we continue to grow and move into what is certain to be an inspiring future.”