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Lunenburg County Superintendent Charles M. Berkley Jr. has been named Region 8 Superintendent of the Year for 2020.

During his tenure as superintendent, the division has seen an increase in the on-time graduation rate and a decrease in the dropout rate. In addition, school attendance rates improved which allowed Lunenburg County Public Schools to meet the standards set by the Virginia Department of Education. Furthermore, the division was recognized in 2018-2019 as being one of the top school divisions for attendance.

Together with his administrative team, Berkley implemented a comprehensive plan of action that targets academics, behavior, and culture and which supports the “Profile of a Virginia Graduate.” This plan called for implementing the Virginia Tiered System of Supports to decrease behavioral referrals, establishing a financial process that provides consistency and transparency to all stakeholders, and putting steps in place to promote a positive division and school culture that ensures a safe and secure learning environment.

Other programs and procedures put in place in Lunenburg County Public Schools during Berkley’s tenure include the following: transitioning to new online testing platforms for assessments, such as Performance Matters; deploying Managed Security Services, which provides 24/7 security network monitoring; and spearheading the creation and development of a new school website, Facebook account, and automated messaging system.

Prior to becoming superintendent in 2014, Berkley held a number of positions in the school division, including serving as an agriculture teacher, as secondary assistant principal, and as director of operations/maintenance/transportation.

Berkley was born and raised in Lunenburg County and is a 1975 graduate of Central of Lunenburg High School. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech in Animal Science and Agriculture Education in 1980. He has completed graduate work with degrees from Virginia State University in career and technical education and from National University in educational leadership.

He is married to Paige Bridgforth Berkley and has two sons (Chad and Hunter) one daughter (Taylor), as well as two grandsons (Cohen and Logan) and two granddaughters (Cassidy and McKenzie).