North Windy Ridge Intermediate

Welcome to North Windy Ridge Intermediate School!

This is my tenth year working in Buncombe County Schools.  And, while this is my second year as your Assistant Principal at North Windy Ridge, it is my eleventh year as an administrator.  I am very excited about working with our new principal, Mr. Brent Wise - who I have known and admired as a fellow administrator for many years now.

I am a graduate of Appalachian State University where I received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Middle School Education which certified me to teach Math, Language Arts, and Science.  I am also a North Carolina Principal Fellow and used that scholarship to attend, again, Appalachian State University to earn my Master’s in School Administration.

I am originally from New York City – Brooklyn, NY to be exact – but my family has lived in Raleigh since 1983 and I have lived in western NC since the mid ‘90’s.  I love North Carolina and the Asheville area especially; it’s where I have put down roots and have no plans of ever leaving!  I have two daughters who are the light of my life and they are eleven and seventeen respectively.  I also married my college sweetheart to whom I’ve been blissfully and blessedly married to for over 18 years.

I am a Gulf War Veteran from the 1^st Persian Gulf War of 1991 and served as an Army Engineer and Computer Specialist stationed in Germany from 1990 to 1993.  As you can imagine, I love my country and I am proud of my service to her.  If you ever have the time to “bend my ear”, I will be more than glad to tell you all you would care to know about how wonderful the Army was and how much I enjoyed my enlistment.

With the start of my second year here at North Windy Ridge, I am looking forward to getting to know both the veterans on this staff and the new faces we have hired over the Summer.  I also look forward to getting to know our new fifth graders from across the district and to deepen the bonds I forged last year with our rising sixth grade.  If you have any questions, please feel free to call anytime at (828) 658-1892 or e-mail me at: michael.benigno@bcsemail.org.