Mrs. Tillery started a new position this year as the Polk County College and Career Academy Coordinator and is also serving as one of Cedartown High School's Assistant Principals. In September, Mrs. Tillery started her 27 year in Education in Polk School District. Coming from a background as a Registered Nurse, she enjoyed teaching Certified Nursing Assistant as part of the Healthcare Science Technology Program at both CHS and RHS. She brings energy to the PCCCA and works with an outstanding staff of CTAE Instructors. They strive to continue to inspire students to achieve excellence in the areas of career readiness and dual-enrollment, but more importantly the students inspire Mrs. Tillery. Her goal is to provide a meaningful, energetic, high-achieving learning environment in which real world connections are provided to all CTAE students. Teachers in the PCCCA are encouraged to create career and /or post-secondary goals and we strive to incorporate strategies in which students can work to achieve and surpass these goals. Along this educational journey, she hopes to assist in instilling outstanding work ethics, creative problem solving, higher levels of thinking as well as compassionate and supportive connections with local industry. She hopes to continue to incorporate community involvement into the PCCCA programs because the community has a dire need for our students to fill the employment gap in Polk County. We hope to grow our own future employees through our outstanding programs and students. Many PCCCA students will earn a certification(s) while completing their program and many will obtain jobs through our fabulous Work Based Learning Program. These are both stepping stones to enter post-secondary education at the next level OR a very rewarding career!

Mrs. Tillery graduated from CHS and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Jacksonsville State University. Becoming a Registered Nurse was a career she dreamed of as a little girl! She accomplished that dream soon after graduation. Mrs. Tillery worked as a RN at Floyd Medical Center in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as well as working in various other ares of the hospital. She began a teaching career after earning a teaching certificate from Georgia State University and taught for 26 years. She is presently attending Columbus State University to earn a Master's in Educational Leadership.

Mrs. Tillery is married to Todd Tillery, who is employed at Polk School District's Central Office as Operations Executive Director . They have two children, Laura-Ashlee, 22 who works at Westside Elementary and Zak, 17, who is a senior at CHS.