About NSPRA
ROCKVILLE, MD. (Jan. 9, 2026) – The National School Public Relations Association today announced its annual list of Superintendents to Watch.
This year, NSPRA selected 30 leaders from school systems across the United States for the 2025-26 honor, which recognizes innovative superintendents in their first five years for outstanding leadership in fostering meaningful, two-way communication and strengthening community engagement.
“These leaders understand that communication is not just about sharing information. It is about building relationships,” said NSPRA Executive Director Barbara M. Hunter, APR. “Through meaningful engagement with families, staff and community members, they are advancing their districts with clarity and purpose.”
This year’s honorees are shaping stronger school systems by recognizing communication as a core leadership priority and leading with clarity, consistency and community connection. Across their districts, honorees led efforts ranging from launching student and family advisory councils and districtwide listening tours to modernizing websites, newsletters and social media platforms to ensure timely, accessible communication for all families.
NSPRA received 66 nominations this year, reflecting a highly competitive selection process with a deep field of outstanding nominees. Since the 2015–16 school year, NSPRA has recognized more than 200 school district leaders as Superintendents to Watch, a number of whom later went on to be named their state’s Superintendent of the Year.
This year's honorees will be formally recognized at the NSPRA 2026 National Seminar in New Orleans, La., in July.
Congratulations to this year’s superintendent honorees, who hail from California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin:
Wesley Benjamin, Ed.D. Kalama School District (Wash.)
Duke Bradley III, Ph.D. Newton County Schools (Ga.)
Juan Cabral Redlands Unified School District (Calif.)
Andrea Castañeda Salem-Keizer Public Schools (Ore.)
Kristin Craft, Ed.D. Boerne Independent School District (Texas)
Steven Craft, Ph.D. Dalton Public Schools (Ga.)
Wendy Dau Provo City School District (Utah)
Alvin L. Freeman, Ed.D. Bound Brook School District (N.J.)
Neil Gupta, Ed.D. Oakwood City Schools (Ohio)
Carlondrea Hines, Ph.D. St. Louis Park Public Schools (Minn.)
Ashanti Holley, Ed.D. Burlington County Institute of Technology and Burlington County Special Services School District (N.J.)
Rebecca Jenkins Libertyville District 70 (Ill.)
Suzanne Johnson, Ph.D. School District U-46 (Ill.)
Steve M. Lassiter Jr., Ed.D. Pitt County Schools (N.C.)
Jason LeMay, Ph.D. School District of Ladysmith (Wis.)
Toni Lopez, Ed.D. Pasadena Independent School District (Texas)
Karla Loría, Ed.D. Adams County School District 14 (Colo.)
Scott Mauk, Ed.D. Chimacum School District (Wash.)
Kelly May-Vollmar, Ed.D. Desert Sands Unified School District (Calif.)
Chuck Perry Broken Arrow Public Schools (Okla.)
Laurie Putnam,Ed.D. St. Cloud Area School District 742 (Minn.)
Heath Rocha Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District (Calif.)
Yamil Sanchez Rivera, Ed.D. Southeast Delco School District (Pa.)
Anthony W. Smith, Ed.D. Clayton County Public Schools (Ga.)
Tiffany Spicer, Ph.D. Waco Independent School District (Texas)
Francis Touchet Jr. Lafayette Parish School System (La.)
Heather Tow-Yick Issaquah School District (Wash.)
James Vasquez Socorro Independent School District (Texas)
Tony B. Watlington, Sr., Ed.D. School District of Philadelphia (Pa.)
As the leader in school communication, NSPRA serves more than 2,800 members who work primarily as communication directors in public school districts and education organizations throughout the United States and Canada. NSPRA provides high-quality professional development programming through on-demand learning, an annual National Seminar, webinars, online forums and resources. For more information, visit NSPRA’s website at www.nspra.org.
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