Seth Westfall gets #celebratED as the new Director of Alternative Ed & Online Special Ed programs at Concordia University-Wisconsin! Previously, she served as an Assessment Specialist and Instructional Designer at Concordia, and as an Assistant Professor of General and Special Education for Alverno College in Milwaukee. We applaud her for all the ways she contributes to the profession, and we look forward to hearing more great things ahead! Press Release Concordia University-

Susan Chenelle gets #celebratED as the new English Department Chair at Bard High School Early College Newark! Before this, Susan served as a Teacher and Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction at the University Academy Charter High School in Jersey City, New Jersey. Susan is also the co-author of the Using Informational Text to Teach Literature series published by Rowman & Littlefield Education. We are grateful for all the ways she makes a difference in the lives of students

Marnie Hazelton gets #celebratED for receiving the National School Boards Association’s Leadership in Education and Digital Innovation (LEAD) Award, honoring superintendents and senior district leaders whose vision and execution have driven scalable, sustainable innovation via technology! Marnie serves as the Superintendent of the Englewood, New Jersey Public Schools, and is a Worthy Educator Champion. We congratulate her for this impressive recognition, and we are excited to

Sherry Birchem gets #celebratED for being named the new Assistant Chief of Organizational Effectiveness at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce! Prior to working in the Office of Academic Success these past seven years, she served as a Principal with the Westerville, Ohio City Schools as well as the Northridge Local Schools in Dayton, Ohio. We honor her for all of her contributions to public education, and we are excited to follow her next steps on her leadership jo

Alex Fairlamb gets #celebratED as a new Teaching and Learning Coach at Laidlaw Schools Trust! She also serves as the Governor of the NEAT Academy Trust and the Non Executive Director of the Local History Hub. We celebrate her for all the ways she contributes to the profession, and we know she will continue to make a difference in the communities she serves. Laidlaw Schools Trust   NEAT Academy Trust Local History Hub LinkedIn

Jeff Rose gets #celebratED as the new Superintendent of the Norfolk, Virginia Public Schools! Prior to this, he served as Senior Vice President of Leadership Development for Cognia, and as the Superintendent of Fulton County, Georgia Public Schools. We congratulate Jeff as he accepts this new opportunity to lead, and we look forward to hearing great things from him in 2026! Press Release Norfolk Public Schools Cognia Fulton County Schools LinkedIn

Mika Vanhanen gets #celebrated as an Ambassador of Knowledge along with awardees from eleven other countries, and he also presented the Reference Award to a Slovenian filmmaker! The event took place on January 29 th  at the Town Hall in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and is a recognition of work where knowledge is not an end in itself, but an action — and a responsibility. In accepting the recognition, Mike shared, “This is not a milestone. This is where the real work begins!” Mika is

Katie Salch gets #celebratED as the new President-elect of the Arizona Alternative Education Consortium! Presently, she serves as the Administrator for Mentoring and Community Partnerships at Student Choice High School in Arizona, an Adjunct Professor at Glendale Community College, and as the founder of Striving for Bliss. We thank Katie for all the ways she champions alternative pathways to success, and we look forward to her leadership of the consortium! Student Choice High

Dr. John B. Gordon III gets #celebratED a for being recognized as the Region II Superintendent of the Year! He serves as the Division Superintendent of Suffolk, Virginia Public Schools and as an Adjunct Professor for Old Dominion University. In addition to this, he has served as Chief of Schools for the Chesterfield, Virginia County Public Schools and as President of Schools That Inspire. We honor John for all the ways he makes a difference in the profession, and we wish him

Cynthia Conley gets #celebratED as the new Principal at Bryant High School in Fairfax, Virginia! She is also a Past President of the Fairfax County Public Schools Middle School Principals Association (MSPA). Prior to this new role, Cynthia served as an Assistant Principal and Social Studies Department Chair and Civics Teacher in Fairfax County, and as a Social Studies Teacher at Manhattan High School in Manhattan, Kansas. We are grateful for everything she brings to the work,

John Pappalardo gets #celebratED as the new Chief Business Officer at Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District in Placentia, California! He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at San Jose State University as a Lecturer in its Ed.D. Leadership Program. Before these current roles, John was the Chief Financial Officer for the Cambrian School District  in San Jose, California, and as the Superintendent of the San Gabriel, California Unified School District. We applaud John f

Ellie Edsor gets #celebratED as a new Class Teacher at St. Christopher's Prep in Hove, East Sussex, England! Previously, she served as a Key Stage 1 Teacher for Pennthorpe – part of the Hurst Family of Schools in Rudgwick, West Sussex, England, and as an Open Day Guide at the University of Reading. We congratulate her on this new role, and we wish her all the best in 2026! St, Christopher's Prep   Pennthorpe University of Reading LinkedIn