July 8, 2026

SANFORD- LCEF Board Profile

Cynthia Reives. LCEF Board Profile

CYNTHIA REIVES

‘I admire the way the Foundation collaborates with both the school system and local businesses to identify needs and develop creative solutions that make a real difference.’

Educational influences.

I am a proud product of Chatham County’s public school system. I attended J.S. Waters School from kindergarten through 8th grade and graduated from Chatham Central High School in 1989. From there, I attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for both my undergraduate and graduate studies. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1993 and a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Psychology and Counseling in 2005.

Read More

July 8, 2026

SANFORD- LCEF Board Profile

FRANK PROCTOR

‘I deeply love the public education system in Lee County, which profoundly shaped who I am today. And as my career journey shows, I have tried to incorporate education into different stages of my life to keep up with changes in the world.’

Educational influences

I attended public schools in Lee County throughout my K-12 years, graduating from Lee County High School in 1981. Most of the schools I attended are still being used today, although they serve different grade levels: I attended Warren Williams when it was an elementary school, W.B. Wicker when it was a middle school, and West Lee when it was a junior high school.                          

Read More

June 4, 2026

SANFORD — One was inspired by a mother who has devoted her career to teaching and by the impact her own teachers had on her life.

The other watched students return years later to thank her own educator mother for the difference she made in their lives — and then realized she wanted to have that same impact on future generations.

Darah Douglas and Isabella Derr, both 2026 graduates of Lee Early College, have been recognized by the Lee County Education Foundation as the 2026 recipients of the Temple Sloan Lee County Teaching Fellows Scholarship.

Read More

April 2, 2026

Sanford— By the time they reach 3rd grade, students are no longer learning to read. They’re reading to learn.

For those whose reading skills fall behind early on, catching up becomes increasingly difficult — and without meaningful intervention, statistically unlikely.

Through a new after-school initiative called Beyond the Bell, the Lee County Education Foundation is funding a targeted, data-driven tutorial program designed to help early elementary students build the foundational literacy skills that will shape their academic futures.

Read More

November, 2025

Sanford- Employers, when hiring, have overwhelmingly asked applicants to come to the job prepared.

The Lee County Education Foundation, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolina, is renewing its effort to make sure middle school students in Lee County get a head start on that count.

The Lee County Education Foundation, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolina, is renewing its effort to make sure middle school students in Lee County get a head start on that count.

Read More