Administration

Principal

A proud Georgia native, Mr. Charoenlap and his wife, Brittany, are the parents of two children, Emmy and Dean. He is deeply honored to serve the Norcross Cluster and Pinckneyville community, and remains steadfastly committed to cultivating a learning environment in which students grow as reflective thinkers, exercise creativity, embrace challenges with confidence, and emerge as the next generation of leaders.

Bringing more than a decade of experience in public education, Mr. Charoenlap has dedicated his career to Gwinnett County Public Schools since 2013, serving in progressive leadership roles including teacher, teacher leader, assistant principal, and, most recently, principal. A proud GCPS alumnus of Meadowcreek High School, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Special Education: General Curriculum from the University of Georgia and a Master of Science in Special Education: General Curriculum from Piedmont University.

Assistant Principal, 6th Grade

Department Support: Math

Dr. Autumn Dodson is originally from Jefferson City, Tennessee. She has served as an educator in Gwinnett County since 2018. During this time, she was a member of the district math leadership team and a representative for the local school gifted leadership team. Dr. Autumn Dodson received her bachelor’s degree from Brenau University, Master’s Degree from Valdosta State University, and then earned her Doctorate degree in education from Brenau University. She is excited to serve the Norcross community!

Assistant Principal, 7th grade

Department Support: Social Studies, World Language, and ESOL

Mr. Pondo lives in Flowery Branch with his wife Maribel and their kids Liam, Aaliyah, Mike, and Kimberly. He is an avid fan of the Manchester United soccer club and a follower of European soccer in general. He earned a Master of Arts in Teaching Social Studies from the University of Southern California (Los Angeles) in May 2011. Mr. Pondo taught French from 2010 – 2018 at Gainesville Middle School. During his years at Gainesville Middle School, he was the head soccer coach. From 2018 to 2023, he taught AP French, French 4, and French 2 at North Gwinnett High School, where he also coached soccer. He is fascinated by all aspects of curriculum and instruction and decided to go back to school to deepen his knowledge of Curriculum and Instruction. In 2019, he completed his Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Curriculum and Instruction from Piedmont University. Upon earning his Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction, he enrolled at the University of West Georgia and completed the Tier 1 Leadership endorsement in 2022. Mr. Pondo is currently pursuing his Doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction.  

Assistant Principal, 8th Grade

Department Support: Science

Mrs. Thomas was educated around the world and has a global perspective on learning. She was born and raised in Abu Dhabi and then moved to Australia. She has a wonderful husband, Jeoson and a lovely son, Yohaan. She earned her Bachelor of Technology degree from India and then pursued her Master's in Science and Management from the University of Wollongong, Australia. While working on her master's program, she worked as an educator with the Australian Agency for International Development. It was at this job that she realized that her passion was working with children. She then continued to pursue her Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education from Murdoch University, Australia. Mrs. Thomas began her teaching career with Gwinnett County Public Schools in 2018, teaching science, at Lilburn Middle. She has been a team leader, co-content lead and mentor. She has led several school improvement and community engagement initiatives. She also completed her Tier I certification in Educational Leadership in 2022. Mrs. Thomas is committed in building relationships and working collaboratively with the staff, families and community to create lifelong learners.

Assistant Principal

Department Support: Language Arts and Special Education

Ms. Darr is a Gwinnett County Public Schools graduate from Collins Hill High School. She began her career teaching English Language Arts in Rockdale County, after that, she returned to Gwinnett County where she taught at Central Gwinnett High School.  She has served as department chair and member of the GCPS assessment leadership team. Ms. Darr earned a Bachelor of Arts in English at Agnes Scott College, a Master of Arts in Teaching English at Agnes Scott College, and a Specialist in Educational Leadership at Mercer University.