About NSPRA
The Superintendents to Watch award recognizes school district leaders who have fewer than five years of experience as a superintendent and who demonstrate dynamic, fast-paced leadership with strong communication at its core.
Superintendent Jenkins leads Libertyville District 70 with “radical openness and humanity,” using communication as both a leadership practice and a strategic tool. Since becoming superintendent in 2022, she has built a district culture where transparency, student voice and shared ownership guide decision-making, even in moments of challenge.
“Superintendent Jenkins leads with transparency and authenticity. She never shies away from difficult conversations—whether addressing environmental concerns with families, explaining complex budget decisions to our board, or guiding our community through moments of crisis.” — Jennifer Khan, President, Board of Education, Libertyville District 70
Elevating Student Voice
One of Jenkins’ earliest actions as superintendent was the creation of the Superintendent’s Student Leadership Advisory Council (SSLAC), which gives students a direct role in district leadership and board-level decision-making. SSLAC members present at board meetings and statewide conferences and they work alongside district and school leaders on issues ranging from facilities to school culture. Today, SSLAC is a model across the state, with students, board members and Superintendent Jenkins presenting together at the Illinois Association of School Boards’ statewide conference.
“Mrs. Jenkins always encouraged us to speak up at these meetings, trying to not only explain reasons why things are, but also to hear students' voice.” — Francis Tscheyka, Freshman, Libertyville High School
“Our Superintendent’s Student Leadership Advisory Council (SSLAC) is not a token group; it is a decision-making partner.” — Jennifer Khan, President, Board of Education
Leading With Humanity
Superintendent Jenkins is equally passionate about lifting up her staff. Through her Spark Cohort, now 72 strong, she encourages teachers to experiment, fail forward and discover new ways to reach students. This teacher-led innovation has earned national attention, including an innovation fellowship with ASU+GSV and an invitation to present at their prestigious summit.
But what truly sets Superintendent Jenkins apart is how she shows up. When environmental concerns about childhood cancer surfaced in the community, she didn’t hide behind press releases. She called parents directly. She showed up at Family Association meetings. She sat beside families at the table, positioning herself not as an authority above them, but as a partner walking with them. That courage to lead with candor and care has built deep trust across the district. In 2023, Superintendent Jenkins was awarded the Illinois Transformative Superintendent Award for creating safe, connected and thriving school communities.
Building a Cohesive Communication System
Jenkins has led a districtwide shift toward more coordinated, accessible communication that reaches families, staff and residents without students in the schools. Key elements include:
Communication Embedded in the Strategic Plan
Jenkins ensured that communication is both a standalone goal and a cross-cutting strategy in the district’s Learning Together strategic plan, developed collaboratively with staff, students, families and community members. Once adopted, she made communication a standalone goal of the plan while also embedding it across all six focus areas. That decision ensures communication is never siloed. Whether the district is advancing wellness, innovation, finance or facilities, there’s a parallel commitment to sharing progress openly and engaging stakeholders in the journey. Transparency and clarity are baked into every update. District newsletters feature icons for each focus area, allowing readers to see exactly how a story relates to the plan. Parents don’t just hear that a project is happening—they see how it advances the vision. At board meetings, Superintendent Jenkins highlights strategic milestones in plain language, helping community members understand not only what decisions were made but also why.
A Visible, Relationship-Driven Leader
Jenkins is Libertyville’s most visible communicator. She attends school concerts, athletic events, Family Association meetings, and community gatherings, and she personally shows up when families raise concerns. She also sets the tone internally through consistent, personal communication with staff. Superintendent Jenkins sends biweekly staff messages that blend inspiration with candor, often revisiting themes that reflect the district’s values. This year, she launched with “Visible. Valued. Valuable.”—a message that every staff member, student, and family member should feel seen and appreciated. Staff read her words and also see her live them in classrooms, at recognition events and in one-on-one conversations.
“At every event I’ve been to as a student and community member, Mrs. Jenkins has been there.” — Francis Tscheyka, Freshman, Libertyville High School
Superintendent Jenkins' influence extends far beyond Libertyville. She has presented at the AASA National Conference on Education on leading through difficulty, at IASA on innovative safety partnerships, IASB/Triple I on elevating student voice, at IASA on school safety, and twice at IASPA. She is scheduled to present at AASA’s NCE and Triple I again because she believes leadership is about building a better system for all students and enjoys generously sharing her work.
B.A. - Mississippi State University; MPA - University of Georgia
I believe school PR/communications is what I was born to do! One of the biggest decisions a parent can make is where to send their child to school, and it’s an honor to share with our parents the engaging work that their children are doing under the guidance of world-class teachers and leaders. On any given day, in any given school, there are many stories to be told and I take that charge seriously. As school communicators played a key role in COVID-19 communications, storytelling was more important than ever – not only did I share information with parents about our protocols, but I also made over 80 visits to schools last year and told a variety of stories about how students were thriving with both in-person and distance learning options. I also worked with principals to determine best mitigation practices and helped make those pervasive, because positive action must be the foundation of what we are ultimately communicating. School public relations is incredibly complex and I love that each day brings a new challenge.
My greatest school PR success was completing 11 nationally-innovative school communication audits using a process of research, planning, implementation, and evaluation. I am now in phase two of this project and am attending school council meetings to garner feedback from parents about school-level communication and how I can better support the work of their schools. One of the most significant findings is that as students take more ownership of their learning, they also take more ownership in parent communication. Therefore, next steps are to better prepare parents for this transition and to also determine best practices from exemplar teachers and coaches at the secondary level so we can strike the right balance with parents feeling informed and fostering student independence.
My greatest school PR challenge is overcoming rigidity. Like many PR professionals, I am detail-oriented and a self-described perfectionist. It’s a blessing and a curse to see when something is one pixel off, but the greatest challenge I have faced in my 13 years in this field is to learn to be more flexible. I might have an aversion to Comic Sans or Curlz, but it’s not the end of the world if those are a font favorite elsewhere. What’s more important is the bigger picture – staff and parents feeling well-informed and students growing and learning in positive school cultures. Instead of telling someone their website isn’t formatted properly, I now make a 2-3 minute screencast if I think there’s a quick tutorial I can offer to provide ongoing professional learning. By being much more flexible, I have deepened relationships and become better at supporting the most important job that occurs in our school system: teaching.
My favorite part of my job is the relationships. I often say that there is no substitute for showing up, and that’s why I make so many school visits each year. From getting to hold a gorgeous monarch butterfly to watching a vibrant student musical to seeing 3-D printing in action from engineering students, I have witnessed countless unique opportunities, and these experiences are just a small piece of what our students get to take part in each and every day. If I didn’t take the time to form relationships, I wouldn’t know that what students value is knowing that the photos I take may show up in their yearbooks. I wouldn’t know the myriad of annual activities that teachers do across our schools because I wouldn’t have witnessed them firsthand. I wouldn’t know about the families of our principals or what they believe makes their school unique. All of that is invaluable because at the end of the day and at the end of this career, relationships are what will remain – both professionally and personally.
The communication tool I use the most is Canva! I would be a brand ambassador if they asked! I am not very mathematically-minded and it can be challenging for someone with an eye for good design – but not an eye for rulers and gridlines – to be a graphic designer. However, Canva has made it possible and I am able to create aesthetically-pleasing graphics with short turn-around times. I have trained communication ambassadors at our schools how to use it as well. Right after Canva, the tool I most use is iMovie. I am completely self-taught in videography and using iMovie and Canva together has made me someone who can add “videographer” to their list of expertise.