CORNELIUS – Matthew Hayes, principal at North Mecklenburg High School, was presented the Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award by the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting held at the Havana Banquet and Ballroom in Cornelius.

Hayes started with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as a teacher in the after-school enrichment program and taught sixth grade at Carmel Middle School from 1996 to 2002. He also coached football and baseball there before becoming assistant principal at Quail Hollow Middle School from 2002 to 2006 and principal of the School of International Studies and Global Economics at Olympic High School from 2006 to 2010. He was named principal of North Mecklenburg High School in 2010.