Mr. Courtlyn Reeves, Principal

Mr. Reeves joined the Ridge Road Middle School community as the Principal in August 2020. Prior to that, he was the Principal at Greenway Park Elementary in CMS for multiple years.
Principal Reeves grew up in a small town in the mountains of North Carolina. He attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC where he earned a bachelor's degree in politics and broadcast journalism. Mr. Reeves worked at a couple of television stations before realizing his passion lies in equalizing educational opportunities for students. Ten years ago, he moved to Charlotte and joined CMS. Mr. Reeves has taught high school math, worked in central administration and served as a dean of instruction and assistant principal in two CMS schools, as well. His experience has taught him that the best way to increase and sustain high student achievement is to nurture a strong school culture and sense of community where the principal, staff, and families work collectively to best meet the needs of individual students.
On a personal note, Principal Reeves is married and a parent. His wife, Sarah Reeves, is the Director of Elementary Education for Cabarrus County Schools. They have one daughter, Hadley Calais, and a Pomeranian pup named Cooper. In his free time, he enjoys playing the piano, spending time with friends on the lake, and cooking.
Contact Mr. Reeves: CourtlynC.Reeves@cms.k12.nc.us
Ms. Elyse West - 6th Grade Administrator

Ms. West joined the Ridge Road Middle School community as the Dean of Instruction in March 2021. This is her 13th year working in education, and all of them have been in CMS. Prior to coming to Ridge Road, she was a Technology Facilitator and Magnet School Coordinator at Cochrane Collegiate Academy, a Technology Facilitator at Providence High School, and a Professional Development Facilitator at J.M. Robinson Middle School. She taught Social Studies at J.M. Robinson Middle School.
Ms. West grew up in North and South Carolina. She graduated from Elon University with a Middle Grades Education degree. She earned Master's degrees in School Administration and Instructional Technology from UNCC. In her free time, Ms. West loves visiting family in Charleston, SC, working out, and watching reality TV. Ms. West is married with a 1.5 year old son, Mack, and a pit mix, Bogey.
Contact Ms. West: AnnieE.West@cms.k12.nc.us

Ms. Lauren Timblin - 7th Grade Administrator

Ms. Timblin joined the Ridge Road family in summer 2021 as an Assistant Principal. This is her 10th year working in education, all of which she completed within CMS. Ms. Timblin is originally from upstate NY where she received her Education degree in Special Education with a Middle School extension in English from SUNY Fredonia. In 2018, Ms. Timblin graduated from Queens University where she received a school administrator certification and principal license from the School Executive Leadership Academy. The past three years, Ms. Timblin served as the academic facilitator for grades 6-8 at Oaklawn Language Academy, which is a Spanish language immersion school in CMS. Prior to this role, she taught 3rd grade for six years at Oaklawn.
Ms. Timblin has been married for 2 years to her husband, Corey. They have a fun and loving Cavapoo pup named Malibu, who they refer to as "Bu." The Timblins are expecting their first child in November. In her free time, Ms. Timblin enjoys spending time on the lake with her family and friends, reading a good book, and rooting for the Buffalo Bills!
Contact Ms. Timblin: LaurenA.Timblin@cms.k12.nc.us

Mr. Craig Higgins - 8th Grade Adminstrator
This is Mr. Higgins's fourth year at Ridge Road Middle School. He currently serves as the 8th grade Assistant Principal. Mr. Higgins comes from a long line of educators as both his mother and father, as well as his sister, are involved in education. Before moving to NC, Mr. Higgins grew up in a small town in Wyoming. He received his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education Teaching from the University of Wyoming. He later received his Masters of Arts in Executive Leadership from Gardner Webb University. This is Mr. Higgins's 18th year in education, serving them all in CMS. Before coming to Ridge Road, he taught two years at both Davidson and Paw Creek Elementary Schools. From there, he taught for seven years at JV Washam Elementary before becoming a Dean of Students at Elon Park Elementary, where he served for three years. For the two years prior to coming to Ridge Road, Mr. Higgins was an Assistant Principal at Mountain Island Lake Academy, which is a Pre-K - 8 school in CMS.
Mr. Higgins has been married for thirteen wonderful years to his wife Dana, who is teaches at Davidson Elementary. They both enjoy their time with their two young children, Peyton who is 9 year old, as well as Brody who is 7 years old. The Higgins family also enjoys their new addition to the family, Sweetie, who is a 5 year old yellow lab. When not at Ridge Road or spending time with his family, Mr. Higgins enjoys staying active, being in the outdoors, and reading a good book.
Contact Mr. Higgins: Craig.Higgins@cms.k12.nc.us