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Nominated by: Washington School Public Relations Association
For more than a decade, Tove Tupper, APR, has helped shape the voice and strategic direction of Highline Public Schools, championing transparent, student-centered communication and serving as a key strategic partner to district leadership. As chief communications officer, she leads districtwide communications efforts, guiding messaging, engagement and communications strategy across the organization.
Tupper’s work is grounded in strategy, research and trust-building. She leads the development and execution of Highline’s annual strategic communications plan, aligning communications with the district’s strategic priorities and using scientific community polling, staff and family surveys, and engagement feedback to guide messaging and outreach. Under her leadership, community confidence in Highline has strengthened significantly. In 2025, 80% of polled residents said Highline’s goals aligned with their own priorities, up from 69% the previous year. Satisfaction with educational quality also reached its highest level since tracking began.
In 2024, Tupper helped guide district communications during a major technology disruption that shut down district systems for six weeks and closed schools for three days. With critical systems offline, she played a central role on cabinet, helping lead both response and recovery efforts while coordinating a multi-channel communication strategy built around transparency, empathy and clarity. Even without access to many digital tools, she coordinated communication through in-person briefings, printed materials, robocalls, text alerts and media outreach to keep staff, families and the community informed.
“Tove balanced transparency and caution,” said Highline Superintendent Dr. Ivan Duran. “Her approach preserved trust and empathy among stakeholders during uncertainty.”
Tupper has also led strategic communications efforts related to school funding, levy communications, student voice storytelling, crisis response and district redesign initiatives. Her work has earned national and state recognition, including multiple Washington School Public Relations Association awards and NSPRA Gold Medallion recognition for communications campaigns focused on crisis communication, strategic communications and school funding.
Beyond her district, Tupper is widely respected as a leader and mentor within the profession. She serves on NSPRA’s Accreditation Committee, Universal Accreditation Board committee and WSPRA’s APR Committee, helping support and guide future accredited professionals. A frequent presenter at NSPRA and state chapter conferences, she has led professional learning sessions on topics including crisis communication, trust-building, leadership communications and strategic planning.
“Tove represents the very best of our profession,” wrote the Washington School Public Relations Association Board in support of her nomination. “She is a strategic, thoughtful, and deeply respected leader.”
Colleagues across the profession recognize Tupper not only for her strategic expertise, but also for her calm leadership, authenticity and commitment to public education. Through complex challenges and high-profile initiatives alike, she continues to elevate the role of school communications as a critical leadership function rooted in trust, transparency and service.