Cherie Barnett Gaines began her career in 2001 as a middle school teacher of science, reading, and English. After earning her doctoral degree from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in Education with a concentration in Educational Administration and Supervision, she began work in higher education at Lincoln Memorial University, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States (LMU), where she worked in Initial Teacher Licensure programs. While at LMU, Dr. Gaines also served as Director of Clinical Experiences for the School of Education, focusing on accreditation. Currently, Dr. Gaines is an Associate Professor of Education in the doctoral program for Education at LMU. Cherie’s research interests include rural schools, teacher leadership, school climate, middle school education, and leadership preparation. As a member of the American Educational Research Association’s Leadership for School Improvement Special Interest Group, she focuses her research on school improvement in those research areas. Dr. Gaines has presented research at conference meetings such as American Educational Research Association; Mid-South Educational Research Association; British Educational Leadership, Management & Administration Society; and Appalachian College Association, and her work can be found in journals such as NASSP Bulletin and in published books.