Elizabeth Armistead Lemon (class of ’95) has been named Head of School, becoming the first woman to lead North Cross School in Roanoke County. The appointment took effect July 1.
Lemon is the ninth Head of School at North Cross, and the first alumna to serve in the position. The Board’s unanimous decision to select Ms. Lemon was unanimous.
Lemon comes from Harpeth Hall in Nashville, where she was director of the Upper School since 2017. She had been the English Department Chair and an esteemed teacher, winning the prestigious Heath Jones Prize for teaching in 2010.
She earned her B.A. in English Literature from Washington & Lee University and her M.A. in English Literature from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Lemon succeeds Dr. Christian J. Proctor, who is retiring after holding the Head position for 11 years. Proctor, the senior staff team, and all faculty will work with Lemon for the next few months to help with the transition.
Sarah Boxley Beck, North Cross ‘98, who chairs the Search Committee and Board of Trustees, says the Committee was immediately impressed with Lemon’s leadership style and connection with the faculty and families.
“We are grateful to the entire North Cross Community for the role they played in our search for the new Head of School. Armistead Lemon is a leader who will support and promote the mission of North Cross School and challenge and inspire our students, faculty and staff to achieve their academic, civic, and professional goals. We are thrilled to welcome Armistead back to Roanoke.”
Lemon is married to Calvin Stewart, and they have two sons, ages five and seven.
She was selected from a deep and diverse pool of candidates following a national search led by the independent school’s consultant firm, The Education Group. The Search Committee was composed of trustees, past and current parents and alumni.
Of her new appointment, Lemon said, “I am delighted and deeply honored to serve as your next Head of School. North Cross is a place I hold dear for the outstanding opportunities it provided me as a student and an alumna; it shaped me in the very best ways and launched me on my leadership path. My gratitude for the faculty, coaches, administrators, families, and trustees who understand how special North Cross is and have supported its mission across decades and generations knows no bounds. It is with humility and sense of purpose that I accept the tremendous responsibility to carry the mission forward.”
About the Writer:
Dan Smith is an award-winning Roanoke-based writer/author/photographer and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame (Class of 2010). He has authored eight books, including the upcoming novel out in Summer 2022, NEWS! He is founding editor of a Roanoke-based business magazine and a former Virginia Small Business Journalist of the Year (2005).