About NSPRA
Author: NSPRA Staff/Friday, January 9, 2026/Categories: News
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.
Congratulations to the following 2025-26 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.)
Each award recipient will be profiled in upcoming issues of NSPRA's monthly Member Memo e-newsletter. Honorees will be formally recognized at the NSPRA 2026 National Seminar in New Orleans, La., in July.
Congratulations again to this outstanding group of district leaders, and thank you to all who submitted nominations!
Learn More About the 2025-26 Superintendents to Watch
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