Central Office Administrator of the Year Award

General Criteria

  1. The individual should have been a practicing central office administrator for at least five years. (Central office administrator is generally defined as any administrative assignment that is not at the building level.)              
  2. The individual should be currently serving as a central office administrator in a school district or AEA where a commitment to excellence is clearly evident; i.e., to be nominated as a 2025 Central Office Administrator of the Year, the individual must be a central office administrator for the 2024-25 school year.
  3. There should be evidence of outstanding contributions to the well being of the educational community including:
    • ways in which curriculum, staff morale, community support, student interest, and the learning environment have benefited from this individual’s leadership.
    • ways in which the individual provides creative leadership in inspiring and motivating others to achieve and contribute to the educational environment.
  4. ways in which the individual provides creative leadership in inspiring and motivating others to achieve and contribute to the educational environment.
  5. The individual should show a strong commitment to the profession by active participation in professional activities. Membership in SAI and a respective national association are prerequisites for this award.
  6. There should be evidence that the individual is respected by his/her colleagues and the community at large.

    NOTE: No current SAI Executive Committee member (president, president-elect, vice president or past president), NAESP, NASSP or AASA board member is eligible for this award.

    Award recognition

    1. News releases are sent by SAI to select media at the conclusion of the selection process. An article will also appear in the SAI Report.
    2. Nominees will be recognized at their respective SAI District Meetings.
    3. The Administrator of the Year will be recognized at the SAI Annual Conference.