Dr. Ashanti N. Holley is the Superintendent of Schools for the Burlington County Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Burlington County Special Services School District (BCSSSD), a dual district system serving more than 3,000 students across Burlington County, the largest county in New Jersey. A proud resident of Burlington County, she was born, raised, and educated in Willingboro, New Jersey. After graduating from Willingboro High School, she attended Winston Salem State University in North Carolina, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education. While at Winston Salem, she was a member of the distinguished WSSU Marching Rams band, organized voter registration drives, volunteered as a Big Sister at the YMCA, and served as a Resident Assistant.
She began her career as a special education teacher in Willingboro Township, later serving as Vice Principal at New Brunswick High School and Principal at Perth Amboy High School. At New Brunswick, she secured a 400,000 dollar U.S. Small Learning Communities grant, partnered with Johnson and Johnson to launch Bridge to Employment, and created Small Learning Communities. At Perth Amboy, she established the Freshman Academy, introduced a one to one Chromebook initiative, expanded AP courses, implemented AVID, launched a partnership with NJIT for freshman scholars, and created Career and Technical Education Academies. She also worked closely with the New Jersey School Development Authority on the design and construction of New Brunswick High School in 2010 and Perth Amboy High School in 2023, projects totaling more than 400 million dollars.
Dr. Holley’s academic journey reflects her commitment to lifelong learning. She holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership and a Master’s in Counseling from Wilmington University and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Rowan University. Her dissertation examined support for Alternative Route teachers in New Jersey. She completed Human Resources certification at Rutgers University and earned Civil and Divorce Mediation Certification through the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators in 2022. She holds multiple state certifications including Teacher of the Handicapped, Guidance Counselor, Supervisor, Principal, and School Administrator and is currently working toward licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor. She has also taught as an adjunct professor at Concordia and Argosy Universities.
As Superintendent, Dr. Holley has advanced district wide initiatives in equity, diversity, inclusion, curriculum innovation, and workforce readiness, positioning BCIT and BCSSSD as regional leaders in career and technical education and specialized services. The Burlington County Institute of Technology has experienced consistent enrollment growth over the past several years, increasing from 1,985 students in the 2022 to 2023 school year to 2,318 students in the 2025 to 2026 school year. Graduation outcomes remain among the strongest in the state, with graduation rates of 96.9 percent in 2023, 96.8 percent in 2024, and rising to 98.6 percent in 2025.
BCIT currently offers more than 30 career and technical education programs aligned with workforce needs across industries such as engineering, biomedical science, information technology, manufacturing, culinary arts, and construction trades. Under Dr. Holley’s leadership, the district has significantly expanded its network of business and industry partnerships. These partnerships increased from 318 in the 2022 to 2023 school year to 347 in the 2024 to 2025 school year, creating direct connections between students and regional employers.
Work based learning opportunities have also expanded steadily. Student participation in internships and cooperative work experiences increased from 82 students in 2023 to 124 students in 2024 and 152 students in 2025. These partnerships provide students with real world experience while strengthening the workforce pipeline for local industries.
Students graduating from BCIT leave with industry recognized credentials that prepare them for both college and career pathways. In the 2024 to 2025 school year alone, graduating seniors earned 840 industry certifications across both campuses, with 523 certifications earned at the Westampton campus and 317 at the Medford campus.
Under her leadership, BCIT earned the New Jersey Department of Education’s Lighthouse Award for equity and diversity. She also led the district’s acceptance into the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, a prestigious national network of forward thinking districts recognized for advancing educational equity, research based practice, and innovative learning models. Through this partnership, the districts collaborate with educators, researchers, and technology leaders across the country to pilot new approaches, expand professional learning opportunities, and ensure students have access to future ready skills and experiences. Her influence was further recognized when she was inducted into the New Jersey Council of Education, the state’s oldest education organization.
She also serves as an Education Lead Facilitator for Google Education, ensuring her districts remain at the forefront of educational technology integration and innovation.
Dr. Holley’s civic and community engagement is equally notable. She is a Board Member of the Burlington County Chamber of Commerce and an Honorary Commander at Fort Dix McGuire, strengthening partnerships that connect education, business, and the military. She co-founded Students With Ambitious Goals, known as SWAG, a nonprofit that offers teens cultural, social, and educational opportunities including annual HBCU tours. Her philanthropic work includes organizing toy drives serving over 350 children annually, sponsoring holiday turkey giveaways for hundreds of families, funding free back to school haircuts, and volunteering with organizations such as the Burlington County Animal Shelter and PEARLS.
Her accomplishments have been recognized by Winston Salem State University through the Alumni Achiever Award and inclusion in the Top Forty Under 40. She was also named one of Burlington County’s Outstanding Women of the Year in 2023. She serves as a member of the New Jersey Council of Education and was recognized by NJBIZ as a 2025 South Jersey Tech Titan.
She was part of the inaugural class of the Willingboro High School Hall of Fame. She was recognized as a South Jersey Business Tech Titan. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the American Association of School Personnel Administrators. She also serves on the Burlington County Women’s Advisory Council.
Throughout her career, Dr. Holley has been recognized as a transformative leader who inspires students to pursue excellence, advocates for equity, and drives systemic innovation in education. Her work reflects her core belief that the well being and success of children must always remain the priority. As a proud product of the education she received in Burlington County, she is deeply committed to ensuring today’s students have the same opportunities and graduate prepared to lead, contribute, and compete in an evolving global workforce.
