Southeast District Chief of Staff

Lonnie R. Gilmore, Jr. began his career as a middle school teacher in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 2006. He honed his skills teaching social studies to secondary students, earning a master’s in teaching from Fayetteville State University and a master’s in school administration from University of North Carolina at Pembroke. He also has a bachelor’s degree in history from Fayetteville State University.

Gilmore has been a teacher mentor, department chair, test coordinator and named Teacher of the Year. Additionally, he has served on various school improvement teams. He initiated programs such as an after-school tutoring program, Helping Hands Mentor program for African American male, and founded the Summer Bridge Academy, a program that helps rising freshmen adjust to the rigors of high school.

Gilmore has worked in the Halifax County school district in North Carolina, where he and a team of educators assisted in the states’ effort to turn around the school district in 2010, which was identified as a priority school. In 2012, he became an assistant principal at the secondary level. He worked at the following schools: Cape Fear High School, Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School and North Garner Middle School in North Carolina. In 2018, Gilmore joined DoDEA as principal of Fort Knox High School and led in the merger of the middle school while opening the 21st Century building that added to the school’s original footprint. His tenure at Fort Knox Middle High yielded significant growth in the College and Career Standards Summative assessments. He also established the Junior Fire Fighter Program, which recently was recognized by the Pentagon and U.S. Army Installation Management Command.

Born and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he understands the challenges faced by military families. Gilmore served active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps at various installations, including Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi; and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. He continues to embrace the Marine Corps motto, “Semper Fidelis” which means “Always Faithful.”

Gilmore is married to Nina Gilmore and together they have three children.