Julia Mashburn has served eight of her fifteen years of principalship at Riverview Elementary School, a small-town Title I school serving grades Pre-K through five. After holding administrative positions in every elementary school in Dawson County School District, Mashburn opened Riverview in 2010, an experience which she describes as the most challenging and most rewarding of her career. Equipped with a breadth of skills from 27 years’ experience as a classroom teacher, instructional lead, and administrator, Mashburn has successfully aligned the school with the district’s mission and existing systems while addressing the complex needs of a high-risk population in an economically disadvantaged area. By leading her staff in prioritizing cognitive learning strategies, student leadership, and problem-solving, Riverview students have seen immediate and sustained performance gains that have earned the school statewide recognition. In 2016, the Georgia Governor’s Office of Student Achievement honored Riverside with its Gold Award for Greatest Gains; the school went on to earn the Platinum Award in 2017. In addition, the school has been named a Georgia Highest Performing Title I Rewards School for placing in the top five percent two years in a row. Mashburn is an active leader in multiple professional associations. She is an NAESP Nationally Certified Mentor and holds B.S. and M.Ed. degrees in Early Childhood Education from North Georgia College and an Educational Leadership Certificate from Lincoln Memorial University.