And the winner of the Muscogee County 2024 Teacher of the Year award is . . .

Christie Akers, an English teacher at Northside High School, is the Muscogee County School District 2024 Teacher of the Year.

The Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation, which conducts MCSD’s Teacher of the Year program, announced the winner Thursday night during its annual gala. A sellout crowd of more than 1,100 people attended in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center.

Each year, the staff at every MCSD school nominates a teacher for the award. This year’s 55 nominees were announced in January during a ceremony in Legacy Hall at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts.

MEEF’s selection committee, comprising Columbus business and education leaders, evaluated the nominees’ applications to narrow the field to 10 semifinalists, announced in February.

The committee interviewed the semifinalists to determine three finalists, announced in March, while MEEF and MCSD officials made surprise classroom visits.

Then, to decide the winner, committee members observed the finalists teaching a lesson.

Why Christie Akers was selected MCSD Teacher of the Year

Selection committee chairman Josh Reynolds of TSYS/Global Payments said Akers’ connection with her students and her commitment to helping make them vital members of their community are impressive.

“Christie has a distinct ability to engage her students,” he said in MEEF’s news release. “Her understanding of a teenager’s mind is remarkable. Whether a student is acting like a silly kid or needing help and guidance as a young adult, Christie has developed such good relationships with every one of her students, they trust her to know what they need.”

In her application, Akers explained her teaching philosophy is anchored in building relationships with her students.

“I love interacting with students daily, and how they challenge me to think about things differently,” she wrote. “I love watching students start to dream about their future after high school, and I feel honored when they ask me to write college recommendation letters. … This is what I love about teaching. Bearing witness to the growth and development that happens when a child feels safe and cared for in their environment.”

Committee member Vanessa Ellis, the 2022 MCSD Teacher of the Year, called Akers “the type of educator who not only inspires her students but empowers them. She has created conditions in her classroom in which students are highly engaged and take ownership of their learning. And she loves and believes in all students as learners and as humans.”

Christie Akers’ acceptance speech

In her acceptance speech, Akers thanked her family and colleagues.

“This has been such a difficult year for me because I lost my father in December,” she said. “But your support and inspiration have meant the world to me.”

Akers said Northside principal Marty Richburg told her she could win the district title after she was chosen as the school’s Teacher of the Year.

“I thought you were crazy,” she said. “Thank you for your consistent encouragement and leadership. I work for and with the best people.”

Akers also thanked her students, whom she calls “my loveys.” She referred to the gala’s theme when she said, “If there ever was a group of kids that made me feel like a rock star, it’s been y’all. Your belief in me this year has been humbling.”

The important work of teachers often goes unnoticed, Akers said.

“I’m so grateful that MEEF not only notices but celebrates the work of teachers,” she said. “I think we can all agree that they have made us feel like rock stars this year. I am in awe of each of the educators in this room, and I want to spotlight the amazing the work that you do in your classrooms each and every day.”

Like rock stars, Akers said, “teachers have the ability to captivate, inspire and change lives through their craft. … We pour our hearts and souls into our performances, striving for excellence and pushing the boundaries of what is possible. We create a rhythm of learning that keeps our students engaged and excited to come to school every day. We encourage them to embrace their uniqueness, to find their own voice and to rock out in their own way.

“But perhaps most importantly, we understand the immense responsibility that comes with our platform. We recognize that we have the power to shape the future, to instill knowledge, values and confidence in the next generation. And we do not take this responsibility lightly.

“So today, as I accept this incredible honor, I do so not just on behalf of myself but on behalf of all the amazing teachers who dedicate their lives to making a difference.”

What the nominees, semifinalists, finalists and winner received

During the gala, the nominees receive a framed certificate of recognition and $100. The semifinalists received $500, and the finalists received $1,000. As the winner, Akers received $5,000.

Britt David Magnet Academy first-grade teacher Nicole Hodge and Wynnton Arts Academy English language arts teacher Stacey McClary are the other finalists. The semifinalists are:

• Michelle Atcheson, Fort Middle School, English language arts

• Katie Buckley, Blanchard Elementary School, music

• Annette Gebhardt, Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts, social studies

• Lisa Mills, Columbus High School, English

• Robyn Robinson, Davis Elementary School, fifth grade

• Brent Sutherland, Dimon Magnet Academy, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)

• Suzanne Tabor, North Columbus Elementary School, fourth grade.

MEEF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering education excellence and honoring teachers who are innovative and exceptionally effective in Columbus public schools. In its 28-year history, the foundation has awarded more than $3.1 million to such educators through the Teacher of the Year, Harvard Fellows and Buntin Scholars programs, as well as grants.

Muscogee County Teacher of the Year Christie Akers’ background

Akers has been an educator for 18 years, all in MCSD. She started her career as an English teacher at Shaw High School (2006-14), then worked as an academic coach at various middle and high schools (2014-18) and as the academic dean at Veterans Memorial Middle School (2018-20) before moving to Northside.

Before she became an educator, Akers worked as a corporate trainer for TSYS.

After graduating from Columbus High School, Akers earned a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature in 2003, a master’s degree in secondary education for English language arts in 2006 and education leadership certification in 2017, all from Columbus State University. She is on track to earn a specialist’s degree in teacher leadership from Valdosta State University this summer.

Muscogee County Teacher of the Year selection committee

The MCSD Teacher of the Year selection committee members and their affiliations are:

• Josh Reynolds (chairman), TSYS/Global Payments

• Vanessa Ellis, 2022 MCSD Teacher of the Year

• Michael Graydon, Synovus

• Sheryl Green, 2015 MCSD Teacher of the Year

• Ken Henson, attorney and real estate developer

• John Dale Hester, Columbus United

• Marquette McKnight, MEEF executive director

• Gina Smith, Keller Williams

• Ty Webb, W.C. Bradley Company.

Jim Buntin Award

Also during the gala, MEEF presented Warren Steele with this year’s Jim Buntin Award, named after the retired MCSD superintendent who cofounded MEEF with retired MeadWestvaco Coated Board Division president Jack Goldfrank.

The award honors “an individual who goes beyond a traditional volunteer role to advocate for excellence in education in our community,” said MEEF board member Janet Davis, retired president and CEO of Kinetic Credit Union.

Steele, retired Aflac senior vice president for U.S. marketing, was a MEEF board member for several years, including his last year as treasurer.

“He was very instrumental in our fundraising,” Davis said, “which included a matching grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.”

In 2012, Steele started the Muscogee County chapter of Ferst Readers. Based in Madison, Georgia, Ferst Readers sends children a free book and literacy resources each month until their fifth birthday.

In 2023, Steele led the local effort to switch the book provider to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and he chairs the local successor organization, the Chattahoochee Valley Imagination Library. In total over the past 11 years, the local organization has mailed more than 385,000 books to children, Davis said.

Steele served as the first chairman of the Columbus 2025 strategic planning initiative’s equity and economic mobility committee, which aims to reduce poverty in the community. He still serves with the Chattahoochee Valley Poverty Reduction Coalition and the Early Language and Literacy Coalition.