North Carolina Named Career Connection Champion

Elizabeth Cross has been selected as the Career Connection Champion for the Piedmont Triad region.

Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Secondary Education

Bold vector illustration of drafting compasses and a small green seedling on a wooden surface, representing career growth and education. — Elizabeth Cross, a career coordinator at Lexington Senior High, has been named a Career Connection Champion for North Carolina's Piedmont Triad region. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should local educators take lead roles in state workforce development initiatives?

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction named Elizabeth Cross, a Career Development Coordinator at Lexington Senior High School, as the Career Connection Champion for the Piedmont Triad. She will serve in this leadership role through the 2028 school year.

Why it matters

The program aims to bridge the gap between classroom education and the modern workforce by leveraging the expertise of local career development professionals. Cross is one of eight educators selected statewide to spearhead these efforts in their respective regions.

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction selected eight professionals statewide to serve as champions. Each champion represents one of the eight distinct regions of North Carolina.

The players

Elizabeth Cross

She is the Career Development Coordinator at Lexington Senior High School who was named a 2026-2028 Career Connection Champion.

N.C. Department of Public Instruction

This is the state agency responsible for overseeing public schools and implementing education policy across North Carolina.

The details

Elizabeth Cross currently serves as the Career Development Coordinator at Lexington Senior High School. The N.C. Department of Public Instruction's Career Development and Work-Based Learning Team selected these eight experts to focus on strengthening the pipeline between secondary education and regional workforce needs.

Elizabeth Cross serves as Career Connection Champion for the 2026-2028 term.

Roadmap

This appointment aligns with the broader state strategy to institutionalize work-based learning within the North Carolina public school system. By embedding career coordinators as regional leaders, the state aims to create a more direct pipeline between secondary education and localized industry growth.

Students and faculty at Lexington Senior High School may see expanded opportunities for work-based learning and direct engagement with regional industry partners. These programs are designed to provide students with clearer career pathways and more tangible professional experience before graduation.

The takeaway

This initiative highlights the growing importance of career development professionals in shaping future workforce readiness within secondary schools. Students can look forward to increased alignment between their academic coursework and the specific skills required by regional employers.