EdCircuit Staff 
Finalists include superintendents from Alaska, Florida, North Carolina and Oregon
Alexandria, Va. – Dec. 21, 2016 – AASA, The School Superintendents Association, announced today the finalists for the 2017 National Superintendent of the Year. This marks the 30th anniversary of the program, which honors school system leaders throughout the country.
Co-sponsored by Aramark, VALIC, and AASA, the 2017 National Superintendent of the Year will be announced at AASA’s National Conference on Education, March 2-4, 2017, in New Orleans, La.
The four finalists for the 2017 AASA National Superintendent of the Year are:
- Stewart McDonald, Kodiak Island Borough School District, Kodiak, Alaska
- Barbara Jenkins, Orange County Public Schools, Orlando, Fla.
- James Merrill, Wake County Public School System, Cary, N.C.
- Matthew Utterback, North Clackamas School District, Milwaukie, Ore.
“The quality of education our students are receiving today has a direct correlation to the success of our nation’s future. That’s why we are so pleased to be a founding sponsor of AASA’s National Superintendent of the Year Program,” said John Hanner, president, Aramark K-12 Education. “We congratulate the talented educators we are recognizing for their outstanding work on behalf of the students, staff and communities they serve.”
“VALIC is proud to partner with AASA and Aramark as we select the top superintendents of the year,” said John Kevin, vice president, K-12 Markets, VALIC. “We owe a debt of gratitude to the outstanding leadership the finalists have demonstrated throughout the year. These superior educators are ensuring positive learning outcomes for the students in their respective school districts.”
“It is an honor to congratulate the 2017 finalists for National Superintendent of the Year. These individuals are truly champions for children,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. “We look forward to honoring all of the State Superintendents of the Year at our National Conference on Education in March. We are grateful to Aramark and VALIC for supporting our program.”
The finalists for AASA’s 2017 National Superintendent of the Year will have an opportunity to meet the national education community during a press conference on Thursday, Jan. 12, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The briefing will begin at 3:00 p.m. (ET).
The AASA National Superintendent of the Year program is open to all U.S. superintendents who plan to continue in the profession. The program also honors international school superintendents. The applicants were measured against the following criteria:
- Leadership for learning – creativity in successfully meeting the needs of students in the school system.
- Communication – strength in both personal and organizational communication.
- Professionalism – constant improvement of administrative knowledge and skills, while providing professional development opportunities and motivation to others on the education team.
- Community involvement – active participation in local community activities and an understanding of regional, national and international issues.
A $10,000 college scholarship will be presented in the name of the 2017 AASA National Superintendent of the Year to a student in the high school from which the superintendent graduated, or the school now serving the same area.
For more information about AASA’s National Superintendent of the Year program, contact Bernadine Futrell, AASA director of awards and collaborations, at bfutrell@aasa.org.
Click here to access a list of the AASA 2017 State Superintendents of the Year.
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About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) delivers experiences that enrich and nourish people’s lives through innovative services in food, facilities management, and uniforms. United by a passion to serve, our 270,000 employees make a meaningful difference each day for millions of people in 19 countries around the world. Aramark is recognized among the Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE and World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute. Learn more about Aramark at www.aramark.com.
About VALIC
For more than half a century, VALIC has served as a leading retirement plan provider for healthcare, higher education, government, as well as for K-12 schools and school districts, and other not-for-profit institutions. VALIC, the group retirement division at AIG, has more than $88.5 billion of client assets as of September 30, 2016, and manages plans for nearly 24,000 groups serving approximately 1.8 million participants. VALIC represents The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company and its subsidiaries, VALIC Financial Advisors, Inc. and VALIC Retirement Services Company. Additional information about VALIC can be found at https://www.valic.com.
About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to the highest quality public education for all children. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.
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