Keith Livesay is the Dean of Students at West Stanly Middle School in Locust, North Carolina. A proud U.S. Army veteran, he returned to North Carolina after his service and earned a Bachelor of Science from Western Carolina University. Keith began his education career as a Teacher Assistant at A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis, where he discovered a passion for teaching special needs students. This led to a position in the Occupational Course of Study program before he transitioned to a general education role at Albemarle High School in Stanly County. He served the students, faculty, and staff of Albemarle High School in various teaching, support, and administrative roles.. Committed to lifelong learning, Keith earned a Master’s in School Administration from Appalachian State University and is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in K–12 Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research interests include rural/urban school funding disparities, AI-related policy in K–12 education, and data-driven school improvement. Keith lives in Rowan County, NC, with his wife and their twin boys.