RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - Nine teachers will represent their region in the competition to be named Teacher of the Year in the 2016 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year competition.

They are:

Northeast: Marie Smith, Conway Middle (Northampton County Schools);

Southeast: Katie Snyder, Hoggard High (New Hanover County Schools);

North Central: Margaret McNeill, Dunn Middle (Harnett County Schools);

Sandhills: Olivia Hall, Roseboro-Salemburg Middle (Sampson County Schools);

Piedmont-Triad: Kevin Scharen, Graham High (Alamance-Burlington Schools);

Southwest: Bobbie Cavnar, South Point High (Gaston County Schools);

Northwest: Leah Hayes, South Newton Elementary (Newton-Conover City Schools);

Western: Angel Ledbetter, Rutherford Early College High (Rutherford County Schools);

Charter Schools: Brandon Brown, Lake Norman Charter (Mecklenburg County).

The winner succeeds 2015 honoree Keana Triplett, a high school English teacher at Ashe County High.

The new winner will be announced April 7.