Dr. Ashanti N. Holley is the Superintendent of Schools for the Burlington County Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Burlington County Special Services School District (BCSSSD). A proud resident of Burlington County, she was born, raised, and educated in Willingboro, New Jersey. After graduating from Willingboro High School, she attended Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education. While at Winston-Salem, she was a member of the distinguished WSSU Marching Rams band, organized voter registration drives, volunteered as a Big Sister at the YMCA, and served as a Resident Assistant.

She began her career as a special education teacher in Willingboro Township, later serving as Vice Principal at New Brunswick High School and Principal at Perth Amboy High School. At New Brunswick, she secured a $400,000 U.S. Small Learning Communities grant, partnered with Johnson & Johnson to launch Bridge to Employment, and created Small Learning Communities. At Perth Amboy, she established the Freshman Academy, introduced a 1:1 Chromebook initiative, expanded AP courses, implemented AVID, launched a partnership with NJIT for freshman scholars, and created Career and Technical Education Academies. She also worked closely with the New Jersey School Development Authority on the design and construction of New Brunswick High School (2010) and Perth Amboy High School (2023), projects totaling more than $400 million.

Dr. Holley’s academic journey reflects her commitment to lifelong learning. She holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership and a Master’s in Counseling from Wilmington University, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Rowan University. Her dissertation examined support for Alternative Route teachers in New Jersey. She completed Human Resources certification at Rutgers University and earned Civil and Divorce Mediation Certification through the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators in 2022. She holds multiple state certifications, including Teacher of the Handicapped, Guidance Counselor, Supervisor, Principal, and School Administrator, and is currently working toward licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor. She has also taught as an adjunct professor at Concordia and Argosy Universities.

As Superintendent, Dr. Holley has advanced district-wide initiatives in equity, diversity, inclusion, curriculum innovation, and workforce readiness. Under her leadership, BCIT earned the New Jersey Department of Education’s Lighthouse Award for equity and diversity. She also led the district’s acceptance into the League of Innovative Schools, a prestigious national network of forward-thinking districts recognized for advancing equity and professional development. Her influence was further recognized when she was inducted into the New Jersey Council of Education, the state’s oldest education organization.

She also serves as an Education Lead Facilitator for Google Education, ensuring her districts remain at the forefront of educational technology integration and innovation.

Dr. Holley’s civic and community engagement is equally notable. She is a Board Member of the Burlington County Chamber of Commerce and an Honorary Commander at Fort Dix McGuire, strengthening partnerships that connect education, business, and the military. She co-founded Students With Ambitious Goals (SWAG), a nonprofit that offers teens cultural, social, and educational opportunities, including annual HBCU tours. Her philanthropic work includes organizing toy drives serving over 350 children annually, sponsoring holiday turkey giveaways for hundreds of families, funding free back-to-school haircuts, and volunteering with organizations such as the Burlington County Animal Shelter and PEARLS.

Her accomplishments have earned recognition from Winston-Salem State University, which awarded her the Alumni Achiever Award and named her to the Top Forty Under 40. She was also honored as one of Burlington County’s Outstanding Women of the Year in 2023.

She was part of the inaugural class of the Willingboro High School Hall of Fame. She was recognized as a South Jersey Business Tech Titan. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA), the New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA), the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), and the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA). She also serves on the Burlington County Women’s Advisory Council.

Throughout her career, Dr. Holley has been recognized as a transformative leader who inspires students to pursue excellence, advocates for equity, and drives systemic innovation in education. Her work reflects her core belief that the well-being and success of children must always remain the priority. She is also a proud product of the outstanding education she received in Burlington County and is deeply committed to ensuring today’s students have the same opportunities. Dr. Holley wants every student to see firsthand what a Burlington County education can make possible and to believe in their own ability to achieve at the highest levels.

Bobbie Downs is currently the Director of the Educational Services Unit (ESU) for Burlington County Special Services School District. Dr. Downs decided to pursue a career in education after serving as a teacher and administrator in a school for Sudanese refugees in Cairo, Egypt. Since that time, Dr. Downs served in the role of teacher and administrator at the Burlington County Alternative School before being named Director of the ESU. Dr. Downs received her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Master’s Degree in Teaching from Drew University. Later, Dr. Downs earned her Master’s degree in School Leadership from Rowan University and her Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Rowan University. Dr. Downs also holds a Graduate Certificate of Autism Education. She is a certified mindfulness instructor for Mindful Schools and an instructor for Youth Mental Health First Aid. Dr. Downs is an active member of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association and the Council for Exceptional Children. She also works for the Korean War Legacy Foundation and the World History Digital Education Foundation with the goal of helping educators teach more about the war and the past, present, and future development of Korea.

Eder Joseph served as the principal at Pemberton Township High School for seven years. He joined Pemberton from Woodbury Junior-Senior High School, where he served as principal for two years. Prior to that, he spent six years as the assistant principal at Helen Fort/Newcomb Middle School in Pemberton. His additional experiences include serving as assistant principal for Orange High School in Orange, NJ; as a 5th-grade elementary and special education teacher in Pemberton's Haines Elementary School, and as a special education teacher at Hubbard Middle School in Plainfield, NJ.

Mr. Joseph holds a Bachelor's degree in Elementary and Special Education from Daemen College in Amherst, NY, and a Master's degree in Educational Administration from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. He has earned a certification in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University and Leadership and Management certification from Harvard University. He has received specialized training from The Principal's Center for Educational Leadership, School Development Program from Yale Child Study Center, and The Leadership Academy through Performance Excellence Group: Baldrige Institute.

During his tenure at Pemberton Township High School, he helped lead a school-based initiative to earn certification for Future Ready Schools. He spearheaded a social-emotional and comprehensive Character Education program receiving both State School of Character and National School of Character distinctions. Mr. Joseph helped to develop a peer mentoring program supporting 9th-grade students in their transition to high school. He led a partnership with the National Math and Science Initiative to provide professional development and instructional strategies to increase Advance Placement participants at the high school level. He helped to create partnerships with area businesses to provide students with Work Based Learning opportunities and helped to expand Career and Technical Education program offerings at the high school. Eder served as the Perkins Secondary Project Director and Perkins Data Coordinator, where in that role, he took leadership and oversight of Perkins and related grants. 

Dennis Leigh is the Principal of The Westampton Campus for BCSSSD. Prior to becoming Principal, Mr. Leigh was the Supervisor of Nonpublic Instruction and Nursing for ESU. He graduated from Rowan University with his bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Geography in 2009. After teaching at the elementary level for five years, Mr. Leigh earned highly qualified status and spent the remainder of his teaching career as a middle school mathematics teacher for grades fifth through eighth. During his time as a classroom teacher, Mr. Leigh helped write a new math curriculum for the district, spearheaded school-wide instructional changes and supported his peers in their professional growth. This leadership experience gained during his time as a math teacher lead him to further his education. He went back to Rowan where he earned his Master’s degree in Administration, as well as Principal and Supervisor certifications in 2019.  

A Burlington County native, Michael was captain of his high school's football and wrestling teams while attending Holy Cross High School. After graduating from Montclair State University with a B.S. in Psychology and a Social Studies Teaching Certificate, Michael had the privilege of teaching in Morris County for many years before returning home to Burlington County to teach near his hometown. While teaching, he obtained his M.A. in Educational Leadership. Mr. Berger is a former athletic director, social studies teacher, coach, club advisor, and has served on many curricular and instructional committees.

 Mr. Berger loves working in public education because it affords him the opportunity to lead in the organization, supervision, and promotion of excellence in educational programs, while also working to provide opportunities for personal growth for all students.

 He truly believes that school offers students the opportunity to develop and strengthen the academic, social, therapeutic and emotional skills needed to assure each student reaches their full potential as a productive member of the community.

 Outside of school. Mr. Berger's wife, three young sons, and dog keep him very busy reading, exploring, and traveling to youth sporting practices and events.

Mary Jean Kneringer started her teacher preparation program by attending Rowan University where she earned both Teacher of the Handicapped and Teacher of Reading Certifications.  There she was recognized with the Exceptional Children and Humanitarian Awards. Ms. Kneringer then became a Special Education Teacher in Deptford for students in 7th through 9th grade. At this same time, Ms. Kneringer began working at Bancroft's adult residential program and eventually left teaching to pursue her Master's Degree while being promoted to Director of Bancroft's residential and vocational programs for individuals with severe challenging behaviors.  She continued her education at Temple University where she earned her Master's of Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Technology. She also completed coursework in Applied Behavior Analysis at Temple University which prepared her to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). During this time, she was also published in both the Journal of Psychology and the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis for her research.

 Ms. Kneringer continued to work at Bancroft and was again promoted into the position of Senior Director of Pediatric Services including their Neurobehavioral Unit, i.e The Lindens.   Ms. Kneringer left Bancroft in 2004 and began her family. She returned back to education as a classroom teacher at The Children's Home in Mt. Holly serving students with behavioral disorders in grades 9th through 12th. During this time, she returned to Rowan University and obtained her Supervisor of Education certification. In 2007, her journey continued at Burlington County Special Services School District within the Educational Services Unit serving public schools in Burlington and surrounding counties as an Autism Consultant and then as the Supervisor of the Autism Program and then as supervisor of Related Services.  Ms. Kneringer has served as the Director of Child Study and Related Services for the school district, served in the role of Principal of the Lumberton Campus for one year and was assigned as principal of the Transition Campus commencing in July 2019. During the past year, she received her Principal Certificate from NJ Excel and is now in her second year of the Leader 2 Leader program. 

Ms. Kneringer and her husband have two daughters and they are all actively involved in their community. Ms. Kneringer has been an active community and school volunteer in her hometown. Her involvement has included, foster care services, CCD teacher, Special Olympics, and many awareness events. Ms. Kneringer also serves as a member of the Hainesport Board of Education since 2012 and has served in the role of  their Board’s Vice President since 2013. 

Ms. Lewis is a visionary leader who has dedicated her life to transforming the landscape of education to meet the needs of all students. With leadership experience spanning early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school settings, she has inspired students, teachers, and staff to reach their full potential. Despite her extensive leadership experience, Ms. Lewis remains a teacher at heart, driven by a deep passion for learning and student success.

Throughout her career, Ms. Lewis has collaborated with diverse populations to achieve the shared goal of increasing student achievement and promoting the well-being of every learner. Her educational philosophy is grounded in the unwavering belief that each day is a day to excel and that all students have the ability to learn, grow, and succeed when provided with a positive and safe learning environment, compassionate and knowledgeable leadership, and a committed educational team.

Ms. Lewis leads by example and is passionate about building strong, positive relationships with students, teachers, staff, families, and the community. She believes that meaningful partnerships are the foundation of a thriving school and is committed to fostering a positive school climate and culture where every individual feels valued, supported, and empowered to achieve excellence.

Kristin Edwards serves as an Assistant Principal at Burlington County Special Services School District (East Campus).

She began her career in education as a 4th grade and special education teacher after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Elementary Education, with minors in Special Education and English as a Second Language (ESL), from Rider University. She went on to obtain a Master of Arts in Teaching from Fairleigh Dickinson University, along with state certifications as a Reading Specialist and Supervisor.

Prior to her transition into educational leadership, Ms. Edwards spent several years as a K–2 and middle school Reading Specialist, designing targeted literacy interventions for students requiring specialized support. Her exceptional contributions to the field earned her the 2021–2022 Educational Services Professional of the Year Award and the 2021–2022 Mary Cudemo-Schurig Award from the West Jersey Reading Council.

Building on her expertise in literacy and instructional leadership, Ms. Edwards transitioned into administration, serving first as a High School Assistant Principal. In addition to her administrative role, she is a Senior Adjunct Professor at Rowan College at Burlington County, where she teaches literacy pedagogy within the 3+1 Education Program.