Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Heather Mays, the new principal at Mountain Brook Elementary School for the 2024-25 school year, in her office.
Heather Mays said no matter where she’s been over the years, there’s always been someone around her with a connection to Mountain Brook Schools.
“I started out as a library media specialist in Shelby County Schools, then worked in district administration,” she said, adding that she worked there with Lisa Beckham, who later moved to work in Mountain Brook.
“We kept in touch, and she had so many wonderful things to share about her experience with Mountain Brook City Schools,” Mays said.
Those kinds of conversations continued throughout Mays’ 26-year journey as an administrator at Briarwood Christian School and Trussville City Schools and as an adjunct professor at the University of Alabama and the University of Montevallo.
All the way through, she said she “always considered Mountain Brook City Schools to be a hallmark of excellence.”
So she was excited to come to Mountain Brook Elementary two years ago as assistant principal, and she’s even more excited to be the school’s new principal.
“I’ve loved every job I’ve ever had, but the last two years have been my favorite,” Mays said. “It will be a long time before I finish, but I think this is where I want to finish my career.”
She said she has worked in “wonderful schools with very supportive families” over the years, but the support from MBE families is “unmatched.”
“Our parents come ready to serve and are constantly asking how they can help,” she said. “They’re so eager to be a part of this school community.”
And Mays said, of course, she loves the students.
“Students at this age are delightful — they love sharing their learning with you, they tell you about their dogs, their grandparents and how many goals they scored at their soccer game,” she said. “It makes every day new and interesting and fun.”
Mays, who has her doctorate and educational specialist degree in educational leadership from Samford University, said she also can’t imagine a faculty and staff anywhere who is a “more dedicated group of people who love what they do and are so happy to do it every day.”
“I watch people show up extra early and stay late with a big smile on their face, just to serve children and prepare for the next day’s fun,” she said. “They make learning so engaging and accessible for every child. I’m a better educator because of the people I work with.”
Mays said she is proud of the school and of the traditions that it has upheld. Composite photos of past classes line the halls of MBE, which is nearly a century old, and children love to find the photos of their relatives there.
“One of the sweetest things is to watch a child walk through and show you their grandparents and uncles and aunts and parents,” Mays said. “I’m excited to continue the tradition of excellence here. I’m excited that parents, students, PTO and staff have so many fun ideas for how to make Mountain Brook Elementary even better.”
She said she’s also thankful for the opportunity to be a Lancer who leads from the heart, as the school creed says.
“I’m really excited about the future,” Mays said.
Superintendent Dicky Barlow said throughout the process of naming a new principal for MBES, Mays “stood out for her understanding of the MBE culture along with her vast school leadership experience.”
“I am confident Mountain Brook Elementary will thrive under her leadership,” Barlow said.
