Maynor to lead Bandys High for Catawba Co.
Mays moves to Lyle Creek Elementary
Catawba County Schools Superintendent Dr. Matt Stover announced five new personnel changes for the upcoming school year, including two with Alexander County ties, Dr. Chad Mayor and Dr. Jessica Mays. The school board confirmed these positions on Monday, April 30. The new principals, which all went through rigorous application processes, will begin their new positions on July 1.
“The four principals who will be transitioning to new schools have done an excellent job and will continue to do an excellent job at their new school,” explains Dr. Stover. “These seasoned principals will be building from their leadership strengths to meet the needs of their new students, staff, and community.”
Catawba County Schools hired one principal outside of the district. “We also want to welcome Dr. Chad Maynor joining our Catawba County Schools family and are thrilled that he will be the new principal at Bandys High School!” said Dr. Stover.

Dr. Chad Maynor
Dr. Chad Maynor will serve as the principal for Bandys High School and is going to Catawba from Alexander County. Here, Maynor served as principal of West Alexander Middle School and Bethlehem Elementary. During that tenure, his accolades include being named the Alexander County Wells Fargo Principal of the Year for three years and being voted Hickory’s Finest Middle School Principal by readers of the Hickory Daily Record three times at two separate schools. He has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Western Carolina University. Maynor is married to his wife, Niki, an OR Nurse at Frye Regional Hospital.

Dr. Jessica Mays
Also, Dr. Jessica Mays will now serve as the principal for Lyle Creek Elementary School. Mays has spent 20 years in education, beginning as a classroom teacher in Wilkes and Caldwell County Schools, before moving into administration, where she has spent the last twelve years. She was the Principal of Ellendale Elementary and Taylorsville Elementary in Alexander County before becoming principal at Claremont for the previous three years. She has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Gardner Webb University. Mays has four children: Gracie (and her husband, Garrett) who are freshmen at UNC-Charlotte; Rachel; Emilee; and Jaxton; and also cares for an “adopted” daughter, Alicia, who is also a freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill.
The other three hires included: Mrs. Angela Garcia will serve as the principal for Webb A. Murray Elementary (she most recently served as the principal for Lyle Creek Elementary); Mr. Brian Hefner will serve as the principal for Maiden High School (he is moving from Maiden Middle School, where he served as principal since 2015); and moving into Hefner’s former position at Maiden Middle School is Mrs. Angela Williams.