ALBEMARLE — At the Stanly County Board of Education meeting on April 1, the school board recognized the Stanly County Arts Council’s Fine Arts Educator of the Year for 2025.
Daniel Dickens, a music teacher at Locust Elementary, is the latest winner of the award that has been given out annually since 2014.
He initially received his honor on March 22 at the SCAC’s seventh-annual Celebration of the Arts event inside the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center, where he was awarded a $250 classroom scholarship to benefit his school’s music program.
Dickens was nominated by Dr. Devron Furr, principal at Locust Elementary, who presented the recognition at the school board meeting along with Arts Council Chair Kelly Dombrowski and Arts Council Executive Director Renee VanHorn.
“The fine arts educator award, affectionately known as the Jim Kennedy Award, is in loving memory of a long-time arts advocate, teacher and coach, Mr. James D. Kennedy,” Dombrowski said. “The award recognizes a fine arts teacher in the Stanly County public school system who has made a significant positive impact on the arts in education and who has inspired students to pursue, appreciate and respect the fine arts.”
The past winners of the SCAC’s Fine Arts Educator of the Year award are Lori Watson (music teacher at Stanfield and Locust Elementary), Michelle Osborne (art teacher at Central Elementary), Stacy Bottoms (art teacher at West Stanly Middle), Jessica Alvarez Kiser (band director at Albemarle Middle) and Frank Poolos (band director at North Stanly Middle and High).
Rebekah Crisco (art teacher at North Stanly Middle), Derek Smith (band director at West Stanly High), Randy Fike (art teacher at West Stanly High), Wanda Maness (art teacher at South Stanly High) and Julie Starnes (art teacher at Locust Elementary) have also received the honor.
“It is such an honor to be here for Mr. Dickens,” Furr said of his Locust Elementary co-worker. “He is well deserving of this award and he’s taught so many students. If you go around this county, you’re going to run into people that know Mr. Dickens. As a matter of fact, I believe all of the Arts Council’s executive committee had students who were with Mr. Dickens and had a wonderful time. We’re just so proud of him and so thankful for the Arts Council for honoring him.”
With 22 years working in education, Dickens previously taught at Running Creek Elementary, Central Elementary, East Albemarle Elementary, Richfield Elementary, Millingport Elementary and Aquadale Elementary.
School Board Chair Robin Whittaker was complimentary of the Arts Council’s handling and organization of the Celebration of the Arts as she spoke of her experience at the recent event.
“I actually had the opportunity to go twice during the day, and we just appreciate you doing things like that that showcase our students,” Whittaker said. “It was an awesome day there. If you missed that, I encourage you next year to take the time out of your day on a Saturday and just go walk through and look and see what our students are doing.”
The Stanly County Board of Commissioners will hold its next regular meeting on May 6 at 6:15 p.m. in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.