Karley Wells serves as the Elementary Supervisor for Haywood County Schools, where she supports teaching and learning across the district. A proud product of North Carolina public schools, Karley has dedicated her career to serving her home community in a variety of roles, including bus driver, classroom teacher, assistant principal, and principal. In 2025, she was honored as the Western Region Wells Fargo Principal of the Year.
Karley began her educational journey as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow at Appalachian State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree, later completing her Master of School Administration at Appalachian State. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at NC State University.
Her professional interests include rural education, literacy, and early childhood education, and her mission is to always make a positive difference—big or small—by being fully present in the space she occupies. She believes education is a transformative force: it is the one thing no one can ever take away, and it holds the power to change lives.