The Center Education Foundation has announced the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Honoree, Billee Runnels-Potts.
Billee Runnels-Potts is a proud product of the Center School District and a lifelong Yellowjacket whose commitment to service, leadership, and community embodies the very spirit of Center.
After moving to the district in 1986, Billee attended Red Bridge Elementary, Center Junior High, and Center High School. A standout athlete, she was a four-year basketball player and part of back-to-back district championship teams. She also competed in track and field and was actively involved in SGA, yearbook, C-Club, MYT, and gospel choir. She graduated from Center High School in 1997.
During her junior year, Billee joined the United States Army through the Delayed Entry Program, and shortly after graduation, served as a Chemical Operations Specialist. She continued her honorable service in the U.S. Army Reserves until 2006.
Her dedication to Center continued as a mother of seven and grandmother of six. Deeply involved in her children’s education, she served as a room mom, team mom, and youth cheer coach. What began as volunteering evolved into a career in education. Starting as a lunch aide and recess aide, she became a paraeducator and later a Behavior Interventionist. Today, she serves as District Lead Behavior Interventionist and was named Behavior Intervention Specialist in 2024. She holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Psychology with a specialization in Childhood and Adolescent Development.
Through decades of service as a student, soldier, mother, educator, coach, and community leader, Billee Runnels-Potts has demonstrated unwavering loyalty to the Center School District.
Once a Yellowjacket, always a Yellowjacket.