Carita Venable

Carita Venable is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Montevallo, a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a Master of Science in Education in Instructional Leadership from Samford University.

Carita’s passion for children was ignited while volunteering in high school at Camp Birmingham. During this time, her passion for sowing into the lives of children, providing hope, and exposing students to new possibilities grew exponentially, which led her to become an educator. Carita began her career in education as an English Language Arts and Reading teacher in Birmingham City Schools at Smith Middle School in 2004. After transitioning to Jefferson County Schools in 2007, she served as an Instructional Coach, a School Improvement/Federal Programs Supervisor at Jefferson County’s Board of Education, and an Assistant Principal at Gardendale High School. In July 2015, she was appointed Principal of Irondale Middle School, where she successfully served until July 2018. Carita is currently a Senior Leadership Coach for the Southern Regional Education Board, where she provides leadership coaching and professional development to principals, assistant principals, central office staff, and school leadership teams. In February 2019, she was appointed as a board member of Jefferson County’s Board of Education and served as President for 2020-2021. She serves on various committees and leadership boards throughout the state of Alabama. She is an active servant leader in her church, The Vine Birmingham.

Carita’s passion for leadership development, education, and students' success is seen in her everyday life. She is an avid reader and writer, loves spending time with her family and friends, enjoys volunteering and likes to cook. One of her favorite quotes by John Maxwell is, “Success is knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential and sowing seeds that benefit others.”