Julie G. Pierce was principal of Gulf Shores Elementary School (GSE) for eight years before
taking over as principal of Fairhope Elementary School (FES) one year ago. Pierce’s leadership
style is highly collaborative and driven by her rigorous commitment to lifelong learning. GSE is
a Title I school with transiency rates often over 50 percent, which is why Pierce committed
herself to building a consistent school culture by responding to the needs of the student
population while leading with a growth mindset. In her short tenure at Fairhope, Pierce has
already begun to replicate her impressive accomplishments at GSE, where she is proud to have
begun the transition to a project-based learning model. Pierce brings openness and listening to
stakeholder relationship management. At GSE, she took an honest and transparent approach to
building trust with parents, businesses, and local and city government when the school was under
scrutiny during a classroom shortage. As a result, she built coalitions leading to creative
outcomes while contributing greatly to the school’s success. Pierce brings a spirit of lifelong
learning that is a model for her staff and her students. She holds a B.S. in Administrative Science
from the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, an M.A. in Elementary Education from University
of Alabama Birmingham, and a Certificate in Education Administration from University of
South Alabama.