Photo by Savannah Schmidt
New principals for Hoover City Schools include, from left, Brock’s Gap Intermediate Principal Emily Dunleavy, Deer Valley Elementary Principal Leah Colley and Riverchase Elementary Principal Sherita Williams.
Three new principals will begin their journey in the Hoover school district for the upcoming academic year, with each having goals to positively impact the communities they will serve.
Emily Dunleavy was named the new principal of Brock’s Gap Intermediate School, Sherita Williams was named the new principal of Riverchase Elementary School and Leah Colley is the new principal of Deer Valley Elementary School.
“So, what makes our appointments a bit unique is we all served as assistant principals together,” Williams said. “We have been friends for a long time and have really relied on one another during our time as assistant principals. We have worked well together, and now we all have roles of principal, so it will be a lot of fun having one another as great resources.”
All three of the women officially began their roles on July 1 to prepare for the upcoming school year.
Williams most recently worked at Greystone Elementary School as assistant principal for the last 10 years. She was also assistant principal for South Shades Crest Elementary. She began her career in education more than 30 years ago, when she taught first graders in Perry County.
After two years, Williams went on to teach in her hometown of Demopolis, where she taught fourth and fifth grades for 11 years. She then served as a K-eighth grade school administrator in the Sumter County School District.
It was a family move that eventually brought her and her family to the Hoover community, where she has worked as a math tutor, a reading and math intervention teacher, and eventually assistant principal.
Williams was also recognized in 2025 as the Alabama NAESP National Outstanding Assistant Principal District IV Nominee.
“I think with my new role of principal, I am really eager to get to know the Riverchase community,” Williams said. “Hoover has so much diversity in our community, and I absolutely love that. I am really excited for the opportunity to get to know another part of the Hoover community.”
Williams said she likes the principal role because it allows her the opportunity to know the entire school on a personal level.
“You have so much influence on the students,” Williams said. “I love interacting with each and every student and being able to let them know that I am here and advocating for them.”
Williams said when she started her teaching journey in 1994, she formed connections that she still holds today.
“I believe that you get back what you give,” Williams said. “I try really hard to be positive and find the silver lining in something. I believe that if you invest in people and have good relationships with them, you can have them for years and years. There are people I taught with in my first years of education that I can still call up today, and the same is true for them.”
Williams said educators often spend the majority of their time pouring into the lives of children under their care.
“Teachers give and give and give,” Williams said. “Sometimes, it may be years later when you see the difference you may have made in a child’s life, but it is so wonderful to see those students years later. I recently saw a former student of mine who had grown into this tall boy running in my direction, and it was just so rewarding for me to see him from when I had known him as a little person to now being all grown up.”
Williams said she was thankful to be the recipient of the new role and looks forward to learning and growing more at Riverchase Elementary.
“I am sure there will be a lot of things that are overwhelming in the beginning, but I am really looking forward to it and so thankful that I was the person chosen for this role,” Williams said.
BROCK'S GAP INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL
New principals in Hoover City Schools include, from left, Riverchase Elementary Principal Sherita Williams, Brock’s Gap Intermediate Principal Emily Dunleavy and Deer Valley Elementary Principal Leah Colley.
Emily Dunleavy hopes she will help every student at Brock’s Gap Intermediate School find their success.
“A principal is someone who helps set the tone for each and every day,” Dunleavy said. “I lead with a servant heart, and I know that every interaction I have with every person can make or break their day. That is something I don’t take lightly. I want to create conditions where all kids can reach their full potential, and that looks different for every kid.”
With 15 years of experience in education, Dunleavy most recently served for three years as assistant principal at Brock’s Gap Intermediate School.
Dunleavy was instrumental in helping grow a collaborative school environment for students, staff and families. During her time at BGIS, the school was recognized as a National School of Character and earned Top 25 recognition through Alabama’s Legislative School Performance Recognition Program, being honored as one of the top-performing schools in the state for academic achievement and growth.
She is also a graduate of the Shelby County Assistant Principal Leadership Academy and was recognized as the AAESA Alabama Assistant Principal of the Year Nominee for District IV in 2025.
Dunleavy is also an Alabama Technology Integration Coach and a Certified Google Trainer.
Prior to joining Hoover City Schools, she served as assistant principal at Inverness Elementary School and previously worked as a classroom teacher, instructional technology specialist and instructional coach and mentor to new teachers.
Dunleavy worked at Homewood City Schools and was also named Shades Cahaba Teacher of the Year.
“I have loved being the assistant principal for the last three years,” Dunleavy said. “The dedication of our school board and our district leaders always putting our students first — it makes the role of administrator make all of the difference. I have strong relationships with everyone and will now be leading them in a different capacity, and that is something I am so excited about. This school is definitely a family. We want the students to know that everyone is welcome, the parents are welcome, and it is such a great partnership between our families and the school.”
Dunleavy said she firmly believes that words matter and that a positive impact on a student can make all the difference.
“As an educator or an assistant principal or even principal, your words matter, and it is amazing to think how something you may say to someone can really affect them the rest of their lives,” Dunleavy said.
Dunleavy said she hopes to remind herself in the hard moments of the job that the parents are sending their very best to the school.
“When I keep that mind frame, it helps me to think about how best we can partner with each family,” Dunleavy said. “I have found if there is a harder conversation that needs to happen, I can keep my mind focused on the goal of the child and what is best for that student, and it helps so much.”
DEER VALLEY ELEMENTARY
Leah Colley will begin the new school year as principal of Deer Valley Elementary School, something she is very excited about.
“I have lived in Hoover for 17 years and love the community,” Colley said. “Deer Valley already has such a great reputation for all of the wonderful things that happen here, so I am hoping to just keep that momentum going.”
Colley has 21 years of experience in education, and she started her career as a first grade teacher.
She went on to teach second grade, served as an instructional coach and reading specialist, served as an assistant principal in Tuscaloosa County and served as assistant principal at Shades Mountain Elementary School, where she has been for the last three years.
During her time at Shades Mountain Elementary, she has been part of the leadership team that helped the school earn National Blue Ribbon recognition and i-Ready Super Stretch School honors for two consecutive years.
“I love helping students with the tools they need to learn to read,” Colley said. “It is hard work, but I hear from students who will say that Mrs. Colley helped them learn to read, and that feeling is just indescribable.”
Colley said when she first learned of her new role at Deer Valley, she told the staff of her new school that relationships will be the foundation of everything they do.
“I think stepping into this new role, building relationships is something I am going to look forward to,” Colley said. “I am a firm believer that relationships matter most. When the student has a great student-teacher relationship, it makes all of the difference.”
Colley said each student grows and develops at different times, and sometimes the best gift to give a student is the gift of time.
“That is one of the things that I love the most about the elementary grades because you are able to see that growth happen over time,” Colley said.
When Colley was a student, it was her kindergarten teacher who was an inspiring presence in her life.
“She was somebody that was so intentional about relationships,” Colley said. “I had a summer birthday and she came and picked me up when I was a kid so that I could be celebrated too. When I was in college at Alabama, she was one of my professors there, so it was this full-circle moment, but she impacted me early on and then impacted me in college and was very instrumental for me deciding to go into education myself.”
