Mrs. Leigh Anne Kapiko-Faulkner

A native of North Carolina, Leigh Anne Kapiko-Faulkner earned her bachelor's degree in English and her master's degree in education from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, N.C. She began her teaching career in Clinton, NC, at Union High School.

She taught English at Lejeune High School from 1991-1998. From 1998 to 2000 she served as assistant principal at Rocky Point Elementary. Leigh Anne Kapiko-Faulkner is a native of North Carolina and a product of the public school system in the state as a high school and college graduate with undergraduate and graduate degrees conferred at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She has served as a school administrator for 26 years. Prior to becoming a school administrator, she taught in the NC Public Schools and in DoDEA. Her career as a teacher began in rural NC where she taught English and social studies. She taught English at Lejeune High School from 1991-1998 and served as the School Improvement Chair for several of those years. Ms. Faulkner returned to the NC school system as assistant principal at Rocky Point Elementary School from 1998 to 2001. In 1999, she was named Assistant Principal of the Year for her district. Ms. Faulkner was named principal of Pender Learning Center and led the staff there from 2001 to 2003. Under her leadership, both schools were designated as “high growth” institutions each year. Faulkner assumed the principalship at South Topsail Elementary School from 2003-2008. South Topsail ES was ranked among the state’s best public schools annually and recognized by the NC Department of Public Instruction as one of the Governor’s “Real Deal” Schools for demonstrating high growth, excellent school climate and high stakeholder confidence ratings.

For over a decade, she has proudly served as principal of Tarawa Terrace Elementary School in DODEA’s Mid-Atlantic District. In 2021, she was named the DoDEA America’s Principal of the Year.  During her tenure at Tarawa Terrace ES the school was awarded Green Ribbon School status and was named a Tree City School among other notable successes.

Ms. Faulkner is the proud mother of three adult children. Her oldest son, Aaron, is the E-Sports Director and Head Coach at Blinn College in Texas. Fraternal twins, Rachel and Grayson, both completed undergraduate degrees recently from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University respectively. Mrs. Faulkner enjoys time with her active family above all things. She is an aficionado of beach-related activities and counts reading and travel as favorites among her many hobbies. Her family enjoys athletic endeavors as participants and spectators. They attend live sporting events as often as possible as a family.  

Ms. Faulkner looks forward to developing authentic professional relationships with staff, students, and the community as the lead learner at Johnson Primary School. She believes that all Osprey family members will soar to new heights within a supportive, equitable, inclusive environment.