Mission

To help every student become the leader they were made to be.

Vision

Appointed to Lead inspires students to believe they can lead. We provide engaging instruction around the skills and traits that make strong leaders. We help individuals assess their current level of leadership, then equip them to become more effective leaders. We support our students as they apply those skills within their organization, community, and the world.

Leadership Beliefs

We believe that everyone has the inherent capability of becoming an effective leader. Rather than viewing leadership as a position to be obtained we view it as a set of skills to be learned. We believe that effective leaders can be cultivated, in any context, through a combination of instruction, practice, and reflection. We desire to appoint the leaders who have not yet identified themselves as such and equip them to lead effectively.

Founder

Stuart founded Appointed to Lead out of his passion for providing high quality leadership development instruction to students on a larger scale. His leadership development journey began in the second grade, when he began organizing tag football games during recess. As a Caldwell Fellow at NC State University, Stuart experienced high quality leadership development programming first hand. The education and experiences the Caldwell Fellows program afforded him helped him understand the importance of practical leadership experience alongside theoretical training. As a founding member of the Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy, he was an integral part of developing and refining leadership programming for the school.

Southwest Regional Director

KeJuan has been a lifelong leader as the oldest in a family of 6 boys. He grew up in Durham, North Carolina before attending NC State University. As a Caldwell Fellow at NC State, KeJuan cultivated a passion for Servant Leadership which he carried with him into the classroom.

In 2015, he relocated to Texas and taught PE at KIPP Texas- DFW where he also served as the Athletic Director. KeJuan completed his masters in Sports Management at Arkansas State in 2020.

From there, he continued his educational leadership journey as a Professional Communications teacher in Mansfield ISD at James Coble Middle School. He coaches football, basketball, and tennis and serves as a part of the school's leadership team.

KeJuan joined Appointed to Lead in May of 2024. He presently serves as our Regional Director for the Southwestern United States and a co-facilitator for programs in other regions.

Northeast Representative

Larry Spangenburg has a long history of leading as an educator. He retired in 2021 after serving for seven years as the Andover (NY) superintendent. During his time as superintendent he also served as President of the Cattaraugus-Allegany Superintendents Association.

Larry cut his teeth in Education as a Physical Education teacher in Rochester (NY). He was recognized as Teacher of the Year during his time in the classroom. He made his jump into administration when he became AP at Southwestern Elementary in Jamestown NY and subsequently Principal at Falconer Central School. While serving as Principal he was the President of the Chautauqua County Elementary Principals Association.

Larry is excited to bring his depth of experience to the Appointed to Lead team to help students in the Northeastern United States become the leaders they were made to be.

Leadership Facilitator

With over 17 years of experience working with students Anthony Fitzpatrick, affectionately known as "Mr. Fitz" sharpened his skills as an educator while teaching at Enloe High School in Wake County (NC). In, 2015 he was recognized as one of 13 finalists for Teacher of the Year in this district which has over 11,000 teachers.

His passion for guiding students towards their fullest potential drives his actions daily. Starting out as a teacher assistant at an elementary school, he's held roles as a Behavioral Specialist and a Co-Teacher for Math. After Enloe, his time in Durham Public Schools (NC) shaped his holistic approach to student development. Mr. Fitz also combined his love for children with his passion for basketball by serving as a girl's and boy's coach and mentoring students both on and off the court as they grow into the leaders of today who will impact tomorrow.