Our Team

Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong serves as the Executive Director of Daniel’s Grace Charitable Foundation. She brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and experience to this role as a lifelong educator, business professional, and public servant. The cornerstone of her work throughout her career has been making a difference in the lives of children and families. Her professional achievements have been recognized with various distinguished awards at the local, state, and national levels.

Upon graduating magna cum laude from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree, Dr. Byrdsong’s career in education began in the classroom as a high school teacher in the Wake County Public School System. During her tenure as a classroom teacher, Dr. Byrdsong was honored with the North Carolina State University Marketing Educator Award, named a Sallie Mae First Year Outstanding Teacher Award nominee, and received the Wilmington Jaycees Outstanding Young Educator Award. As a result of Dr. Byrdsong’s commendable success as a classroom teacher and her effective leadership skills, she was awarded a North Carolina Principal Fellowship by the North Carolina General Assembly to pursue and complete education and training to meet the qualifications required to serve as a school administrator. Furthermore, Dr. Byrdsong had the rewarding experience of completing some of her professional training as a school administrator on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina with the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Schools.

Upon receiving a Master of School Administration (MSA) degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Dr. Byrdsong served as a high school assistant principal before moving with her family to the Hampton Roads area. She was then appointed assistant principal at Northside Middle School within Norfolk Public Schools, and one year later, she was promoted to principal at Azalea Gardens Middle School in the school division. During Dr. Byrdsong’s tenure as the principal of AGMS, she successfully transformed this school, which had been deemed low-performing by the school division and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). Dr. Byrdsong’s turnaround efforts eventually resulted in Azalea Gardens Middle School being named a “Virginia School to Watch” by the Virginia Middle School Association. Her visionary leadership efforts were celebrated within Norfolk Public Schools, as her colleagues honored her with the NPS Leadership and Vision Inspiration Award. In 2005, Dr. Byrdsong was named the Outstanding Middle School Principal of Virginia by the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals (VASSP), and in 2006, she received the National Middle School Principal of the Year Award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). As the national award recipient, Dr. Byrdsong accepted the honor of an invitation from President George W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush to visit with them in the White House’s Oval Office. These notable awards and accolades reflected Dr. Byrdsong’s excellence in increasing student achievement with a focus on closing achievement gaps; improving the overall learning environment; resolving complex problems involving the local school community; and ensuring high expectations for all students.

In 2008, Dr. Byrdsong earned a Doctor of Education degree from Regent University, where she received the President’s Award and the Outstanding Alumna of the First Decade of the 2000’s Award. She is also the published author of Selling Out or Fitting In: A Study of African American Male Students within an Urban School District and a contributor to a variety of other professional publications. Dr. Byrdsong has also appeared on nationally featured television productions, including The 700 Club, Living the Life, and the United States Department of Education’s Education News that Parents Can Use. In addition, she has shared her professional knowledge and experience through speaking engagements throughout the country.

In addition to school-building-level experience, Dr. Byrdsong has extensive experience at the central administration level in both instruction and operations. Dr. Byrdsong’s experiences as a central office administrator include serving as senior director of alternative options, executive director of secondary schools, assistant superintendent of human resources, and chief of staff. Dr. Byrdsong demonstrated effective, transformational leadership in each of these roles, which resulted in her appointment as the division superintendent of Norfolk Public Schools (NPS). Prior to this appointment, she successfully completed Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s Aspiring Superintendents Program.

During her six-year tenure as the NPS division superintendent, Dr. Byrdsong was strongly invested in the school division and the community-at-large where she demonstrated a strong commitment to improving academic achievement and outcomes for all students of Norfolk Public Schools. In 2023, Dr. Byrdsong was recognized by the National School Public Relations Association as a “Superintendent to Watch” for demonstrating dynamic, fast-paced leadership with strong communication at its core. At the conclusion of her superintendency, Dr. Byrdsong was presented with a resolution from the Mayor of the City of Norfolk, on behalf of the Norfolk City Council, for her extraordinary service, transformational leadership, and lasting impact on NPS students, staff, and the broader Norfolk community.

Dr. Byrdsong has also been recognized for academic excellence throughout her career as a student and as a working professional. She was inducted into the following honor societies: Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education, Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, Gamma Beta Phi Society, and Pi Lambda Theta International Honor Society. Moreover, Dr. Byrdsong is the recipient of several other prestigious honors and awards including: Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, the 2005 Citizen of the Year as honored by the Gamma Xi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, featured as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Alumni of North Carolina State University; and featured as a Notable Alumna of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Dr. Byrdsong currently resides in Chesapeake, Virginia, with her family. To continue her work in education, she serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Innovative Solutions LLC. For almost four decades, Dr. Byrdsong has been a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., whose core mission centers upon providing “service to all mankind.”