Regional winners of the annual Superintendent of the Year (SOTY) award have been announced and Greenville ISD Superintendent Don Jefferies has been honored with the Region 8 title. Sponsored by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), the SOTY program has recognized exemplary superintendents for excellence and achievement in educational leadership since 1984.

Regional Superintendents of the Year are chosen by a selection committee of current school board members for their strong leadership skills, dedication to improving educational quality, ability to build effective employee relations, student performance, and commitment to public involvement in education. Superintendents from any of Texas’ 1,029 local school districts are eligible for nomination by their school boards.

Don Jefferies has served as GISD Superintendent for eight years and has created a layer of leadership system designed to empower principals, invest in teacher leaders, and involve the community and students in the educational process. The administrative and organizational changes he has initiated have led the district to earn 28 academic distinctions and 17 financial awards over the past several years.

Always a visionary leader, Mr. Jefferies has also led key stakeholders through Dan Korem profiling training, a Discovery Education overview, Apple training and other professional development pieces to empower the entire district. Members from the Board of Trustees, GISD administrative team and community partners also participated in Futures Training, a global lens to strategic planning, which shed light on various initiatives to deploy in the district.

With a focus on encouraging students to become owners of their education, Mr. Jefferies created the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee consisting of Greenville High School students. The advisory committee led to a 1:1 iPad Initiative implemented at Greenville High School and was the catalyst for Advanced Academic Teams in which students work together on Product Oriented Education (POE) tasks. The district has been recognized in Texas School Business for its innovative POE program and for the Spread the Red Campaign. It is within this climate of collaboration, shared ownership and responsibility that the Greenville ISD has become a community of learners.

Don Jefferies stated, “I was humbled by the GISD school board’s decision to nominate me for the Region 8 Superintendent of the Year and am beyond honored to have been chosen by the Region 8 selection committee. It has been truly rewarding to lead and enhance a school district filled with tremendous educators, dedicated support staff, inspiring students and a supportive community.”

The state committee will interview regional winners in Austin on August 26-27 and select five state finalists. The Superintendent of the Year will be announced September 23rd at the 2016 Texas Association of School Administrators/TASB Convention in Houston.