The Gwinnett County Board of Education recently appointed two new elementary school principals.

Monica Ball was picked to serve as principal of Graves Elementary School. Ball, a former principal at Rosebud Elementary, worked this year on a special assignment for Gwinnett County Public Schools’ human resources division. She taught third grade for 15 years in the school district and has a specialist’s degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. She will take over for Kono Smith, who is retiring.

Joe Sanfilippo, an assistant principal at Hopkins Elementary, will become principal of Pharr Elementary. He takes over for Lisa Rhodes, who was transferred to Puckett’s Mill Elementary.

Sanfilippo has a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Georgia State University. He taught third and fifth grades in Gwinnett.

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This image from video provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via DVIDS shows manufacturing plant employees waiting to have their legs shackled at the Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle plant, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Ellabell, Ga. (Corey Bullard/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via AP)

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