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.
Dr. Scott Mauk has led Chimacum School District through a period of rebuilding and renewal, using communication as a central strategy for restoring trust, strengthening relationships and improving student outcomes. In fewer than five years as superintendent, he has guided a small rural district through post-pandemic disruption, enrollment decline, and community uncertainty with vision, heartfelt care, collaboration and visible presence.
“Dr. Mauk is an educational leader who places an exceptional and strategic priority on communication as a foundational tool for building trust, strengthening relationships, and advancing student success.” — Monique Dugaw Greenwell, APR, APIO, Executive Director of Communications & Public Engagement, Educational Service District 112 (Wash.)
Building Trust Through Communication
From the start of his tenure in 2021, Dr. Mauk focused on strengthening relationships and clarifying the district’s direction by centering Chimacum’s promise that “every student is known by name, strength, and need.” His communication style blends face-to-face engagement, storytelling, and consistent messaging tied directly to the district’s strategic goals.
Key elements of this approach include:
“Dr. Mauk lives our strategic plan by visibly delivering the words of the plan.” — Ryan Stevens, Principal, Chimacum Junior/Senior High School
A System for Two-Way Communication
Dr. Mauk launched the Key Communicators Newsletter to ensure clear, consistent and accessible information reaches families, staff and community members. The newsletter combines traditional print delivery with digital and video content, making it a central hub for district updates and dialogue.
Highlights include:
Families have reported feeling more informed about district decisions, while community members without children in school say they value the clarity and accessibility of the newsletter. Importantly, each issue features student voices, staff highlights and classroom updates, ensuring the focus stays on people, not just programs.
“Under Dr. Mauk’s leadership, Chimacum School District has not only recognized the importance of proactive, transparent, and engaging communications—it has institutionalized it.” — Monique Dugaw Greenwell, APR, APIO
Communication Embedded in District Strategy
Dr. Mauk integrated communication directly into Chimacum’s 2025–2027 Strategic Plan, making it a foundational element rather than a support function. The plan includes explicit communication strategies tied to building relationships, improving collaboration and nurturing community partnerships.
Dr. Mauk uses surveys, board presentations, and public reporting to connect data with district goals and invite community dialogue, reinforcing transparency and shared ownership.
A Visible, Hands-On Communicator
Dr. Mauk serves as the district’s chief storyteller and spokesperson. He drafts press releases, meets regularly with service clubs and civic groups, leads school tours, and records frequent videos from campuses and community spaces. These efforts have been credited with helping pass two local levies by supermajorities and shifting how the community views its schools.
“In fewer than five years, Dr. Mauk has begun to rebuild Chimacum’s reputation around trust, care, and shared purpose. His leadership shows that intentional communication is not simply about informing; it is about transforming a district’s culture and community identity.” — Upuli Murray, Executive Assistant / Communications Specialist, Chimacum School District
By blending personal presence, proactive media engagement and innovative digital storytelling, Dr. Mauk has redefined how a small rural district connects with its community. His leadership shows that effective communication is not just a strategy; it is a practice he lives every day.
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.