In her five years of principalship, Lori Joiner has received multiple recognitions for her effective
educational leadership. In addition to being named a Distinguished Principal, Joiner has received
honors from the Georgia Association of Middle School Principals (GAMSP) on three
occasions—in 2014 for leading an Effective Middle School Program, in 2012 for Exemplary
Leadership, and in 2011 as an Outstanding Assistant Principal. Considering the successes that
have occurred under her leadership of Risley Middle School, this recognition comes as no
surprise. Joiner opened Risley as a first-time principal in 2012, managing all elements of
establishing a new learning community—from construction, to hiring teachers and staff, to
cultivating relationships in order to build a school culture reflective of the families it serves.
With Joiner’s guidance, Risley has been named a National School to Watch and a Georgia
Lighthouse School, a distinction that has facilitated a two-year, school-wide process of
professional growth focused on adolescent child development. Leading Risley in this process
reflects Joiner’s holistic approach to serving student needs, which she practices through rigorous,
multi-dimensional data analysis, daily classroom involvement, and a heartfelt commitment to
community. She holds an Ed.D. in Teaching and Learning and an M.Ed. in Middle Grades
Education, both from Georgia Southern University, as well as a B.S. from Armstrong Atlantic
University.