A former teacher, principal, gifted and special education coordinator, federal programs director and superintendent, Dr. Turner is a veteran educator, who served in Mississippi and Alaska schools for thirty years. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Mississippi State University with a focus in Mississippi school finance at the state level. She is experienced as a special education complaint investigator for the state of Alaska and in teacher improvement in Mississippi.

Distinguished as the first woman superintendent in two Alaskan districts and honored by the U.S. Army for volunteer service, Dr. Turner has successful experience in grant writing, directing capital improvement projects, strategic planning, technology plans and purchases, instructional planning and program evaluation, NAEYC accreditation, budget development, and contract negotiations. Dr. Turner loves riding horses, ATVs, cooking, entertaining friends and is the proud owner of a dog mushing trophy. She is also involved in church and civic groups. She has a son, a daughter-in-law, and three beautiful grandchildren who live in Athens, Georgia.