Author: Andie Freeman
Header image: Michelle Burrows receives the Secretary's Award of Excellence. From left: N.C. DNCR Chief Deputy Secretary Maggie Thompson, N.C. Arts Council Executive Director Jeff Bell, Michelle Burrows, and Secretary Pamela Cashwell. Photo courtesy of DNCR
Michelle Burrows recently concluded her tenure as senior program director for arts learning at the North Carolina Arts Council. We can’t let this milestone pass without looking back at the profound impact she’s had on the agency’s education programs for two decades.
Michelle’s journey started with A+ Schools of North Carolina as an educator at Bugg Magnet Elementary School. The summer she joined coincided with the school’s selection as one of the original 25 A+ Schools. She jumped right in, taking part in that very first summer professional development training as the school prepared to embrace the brand-new A+ model. When the A+ Schools program transitioned to the North Carolina Arts Council, Michelle moved with it as its sole staff member. Under her leadership, both the program and its team expanded, setting the stage for lasting success.
Colleagues who’ve worked closely with Michelle shared their reflections on her leadership. Vicki Vitiello, the Arts Council’s deputy director, was there from the beginning and remembers lean resources available for the program in those early years. “I count my lucky stars that Michelle’s the person who came with the addition of A+ Schools to the North Carolina Arts Council. She had all the experience and skills needed to set the program up in its new home.” North Carolina Executive Director Jeff Bell added, “Michelle’s leadership and collaborations across teams and the A+ network have been critical. Her contributions have laid the foundation for what the network is, giving it the nourishment to thrive into the future.”
The A+ Schools team now comprises three staff members whom Michelle supervised. They all spoke of Michelle’s support, caring, professionalism, and work ethic. “Michelle’s leadership is rooted in encouragement of her colleagues and a passion for learning,” remarked Jennifer Huggins, A+ Schools coordinator. “She has an innate sense that everyone can do great things, and she enables that through mentoring, providing opportunities for growth, and imparting wisdom steeped in experience and humility. She’ll also do anything that needs to get done without questioning or assuming it’s someone else’s responsibility—sometimes to a fault!”
Tom Nevels, A+ Schools development manager, added, “Michelle and I have worked together for 15 years. She’s been the longest-running and most supportive supervisor of my career. Her leadership gave me both autonomy and accountability. She trusted me to grow into my role, experiment, build systems, and develop relationships across the network, while also holding high expectations for quality and follow-through. That balance allowed me to step into increasingly complex responsibilities with confidence.”
“One of the most important things I learned from Michelle is that to be an effective and respected leader, you cannot ask your staff to complete tasks that you are unwilling to complete yourself,” Laura Walters, A+ Schools program administrator, said. “Michelle never hesitated to volunteer to load supplies in the blazing summer heat. She would stay late, arrive early, make copies, fill water pitchers, and more.”
Michelle’s positive attitude has been infectious throughout the team. “Michelle has instilled confidence in me as an arts administrator and taught me so much about the arts education landscape,” Jennifer remarked. “She often told me, ‘You know more than you think you do!’ That assurance and belief in me allowed me to grow professionally, expand my knowledge, and provide the highest quality work to the A+ network—and beyond. Michelle is also a joyful leader who loves what she does, and that joy spread throughout her reach as director of A+ Schools.”
“Michelle’s background as an event planner shines through in her leadership style: she’s the ultimate hostess,” Tom added. “She approaches PD [professional development] like a well-planned gathering, making sure it feels welcoming and engaging. She knows that when PD feels good, participants show up eager to learn, take risks, and ask questions. As one participant recently said, ‘You bring out the best in people!’”
The next generation of leadership has a strong foundation to build upon. The search for the A+ Schools director is underway, and an announcement about the senior program director for arts learning will be coming soon. Once the new staff are in place, the entire Arts Learning team will consist of six people coordinating with one another to make arts education even stronger across the state.
The Arts Council deeply values the foundation Michelle built for A+ Schools and arts education statewide. Her influence will continue to grow through the educators, fellows, and staff advancing the mission of arts in education.
For her dedication, Michelle was recently honored with two awards: the Old North State Award for her service to the state for more than 20 years and the Secretary’s Award for Excellence, which is given for outstanding service by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Congratulations, Michelle!