Seventh-day Adventist Education is a remarkable educational system that began in 1872 and has grown into the second-largest Christian educational system worldwide. Presently, in North America, there are over 1000 elementary and secondary schools and 16 colleges and universities serving 65,000 students. The Potomac Conference Corporation operates 16 schools, educating more than 1,700 students from Pre-K through 12th grade. Our objective is to provide top-quality education, delivered by passionate Christian educators, for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Meet The Team
Gabriel Madrid is a seasoned educational leader with more than 22 years of experience. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences and Theology from Southwestern Adventist University (Keene, Texas), Madrid spent 10 years teaching history, economics, and government in schools across Texas, California, and Pennsylvania.
In 2013, Madrid graduated from Temple University (Philadelphia, Penn.) with a Master’s in Educational Leadership. Since then, he has led as a principal, director of innovation, associate superintendent, and, in 2025, accepted the call to serve as Vice President for Education for the Potomac Conference. His mission is to develop educational leaders who will inspire young people to change the world. He is in love with his wife, Kailisha, and is the proud father of their three beautiful children.
Naeemah Shakir
Administrative Assistant
Office Ext. 1228
Naeemah Shakir is a veteran homeschooler who served Potomac Conference schools as a substitute teacher for nine years before joining the Office of Education. She has also served in various capacities at church, including Women’s Ministries Director and Earliteens Sabbath School Lead Teacher.
Mrs. Shakir holds a B.A. in Radio-TV-Film/ Telecommunications Management and an M.B.A. from Howard University, as well as certifications as a Life Coach, Trauma-Informed Victim Advocate, and Mental Health First Aid Instructor.
In addition to ministering to women and families, she enjoys reading, writing, learning about the brain, and spending time with family and friends.
Janet Armstrong
Associate, Southern District
Office Ext. 1229
Janet Frank Armstrong (“Mrs. A”) served as a classroom teacher for 35 years before joining the Potomac Conference Office of Education in 2019. During her career, she taught grades K–8 in settings ranging from one-teacher schools to single-grade classrooms and also served as a teaching principal. A graduate of La Sierra College in California, she taught 13 years in the Southern California Conference and 22 years in Potomac, including 15 as a teaching principal. In 2022, she became a Youth Mental Health First Aid instructor, training educators across multiple states. Armstrong treasures seeing former students grow into successful adults.
Juwel Watson
Associate, Special Education
Office Ext. 1203
Juwel Watson developed a passion for serving students with special needs while attending college in New York City, working with developmentally challenged young adults in day habilitation programs. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Long Island University in 1995 and later a Master of Science in Literacy and Special Education from Adelphi University in 2002. Her career has included teaching in New York public schools, working with nonverbal autistic children in Florida, serving as an adjunct professor and academic advisor at Broward College, and teaching at Takoma Academy Preparatory School. Watson brings more than 20 years of experience to Christian education.