education
C. Lynn Wiley-Bennett, who grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, knew the importance of education from a young age. Her family encouraged playing teacher and as a child, she knew that teaching was more than just revealing facts, it was about encouraging students to think for themselves and helping them to learn.
In 1969, Ms. Wiley-Bennett graduated from Shepherd College (now known as Shepherd University), where she received a Bachelor of Education in Secondary Education. The next year, she began her career as a classroom teacher at an elementary school, a position she held for the following 21 years. She advanced within the school during that time, achieving the role of Principal of the school in 1984. As well as her work within primary education, she took on the role of Executive Director at non-profit Mission West Virginia, aiming to promote positive futures for youth and families.
Ms. Wiley-Bennett also gained experience in writing grants for many schools, districts, and non-profit projects. For over ten years, she worked with around 100 teachers within the program ‘HEART’ – a project involving history, education, arts, research, and technology.
From 1990 to 2003, Ms. Wiley-Bennett was the Director and Program Developer at the North Central Regional Education Service Agency in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Although she retired from education in 2003, she spent more than 50 years excelling in her field, across many institutions, roles, and titles.
Since 2003 and to this day, she has been a successful Educational Consultant at her own company, Bennett Educational Consulting, supporting the rights and cause of teachers everywhere. Based in Bridgeport, Ms. Wiley-Bennett’s consulting services have helped numerous non-profit companies, securing them millions of dollars over the years.
Throughout her illustrious career, her renowned contributions to education haven’t gone unnoticed – being the recipient of many accolades. In 1990, Ms. Wiley-Bennett was honored for excellence in education, receiving the Professional Courage Award from the West Virginia Education Association. A few years later in 1996, she received a Regional Electronic Alternative Learning grant the from the U.S. Department of Commerce. From 1997 to 1998 she was appointed as President of the National Association of Regional Media Centers and has been a longstanding member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development ever since, serving on the board of directors for WV KIDS Count. Since 2001, she has been the recipient of the National Endowment of the Humanities grant from the West Virginia Department of Education and since 2003, she has subsequently received the Teaching American History grant from the U.S. Department of Education. More recently, she has been included in Marquis Who’s Who for her outstanding dedication to education.
A highlight of her career is when she was hired by the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office to develop a curriculum in coordination with the State Department of Education. Her role was to teach financial literacy to students and how to live within a budget.
Looking to the future, Ms. Wiley-Bennett hopes to continue to grow her educational consultancy. She believes that teachers are one of the most valuable resources our society has, so we must look after them and support them as best we can.