At the Brownsville-Haywood County Chamber of Commerce Membership Banquet in January, two Haywood County educators were honored. Teresa Russell, Superintendent of Schools, was named Woman of the Year, and Latresa Bond, a teacher at East Side Elementary, was named Educator of the Year.

Mrs. Teresa Russell

Mrs. Russell was named Haywood County Schools Superintendent in the fall of 2012. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Teaching from Lambuth University. She also holds a Master of Science, School Administration and Supervision from the University of Memphis.

She began teaching in Haywood County Schools in 1994 and taught in the classroom until July 2001 when she was named Assistant Principal of East Side Elementary. She served as Supervisor of Instruction from 2003 to June 2009, when she was named Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Accountability.

She is a member of the Leadership Haywood County 2010 Class, First South Bank Advisory Board, Boys and Girls Club Advisory Board, YMCA Advisory Board and First United Methodist Church. She is married to Dr. Thomas D. Russell, IV and has three children, Madison, Dannon and Reid.

“I am humbled by this recognition, and I know that I could not have received this award without the help and support of the great team from Haywood County Schools.  The work I do is not for recognition; it is about helping our students, their families and Haywood County as a whole,” Mrs. Russell said.

Mrs. Latreca Bond

Mrs. Bond is a fourth- and fifth-grade reading, language arts, and social studies teacher at Eastside Intermediate School. She holds a BS Degree in Education from the University of Memphis and a Master’s of Education Degree in Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene. She is currently working on a second master’s degree in curriculum and instruction through the University of Phoenix.

She is a representative for the Teacher Education Association and is working after school in tutoring students in a program she developed called “TCAP for Tuesday.” She is married to Derwin Bond, and they have one child, Kearsten.

“I thanked the board members for allowing me to be a recipient of such an honorable award. I shared the deep concerns that many parents express, and the question asked by many was, ‘Mrs. Bond, how do you do it and why?’ “My response was, I do what I do because of the love I have for my students and the strong desire of wanting them to become achievers and successful learners. As teachers we are use to the hugs and praises from students and parents, but it is especially touching when community leaders recognize a job well done.”