Finalists Named for AASA’s 2022 National Superintendent of the Year®

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
James Minichello
703-774-6953
jminichello@aasa.org

Honorees include superintendents from Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Missouri

Alexandria, Va. – December 20, 2021 – AASA, The School Superintendents Association, is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2022 National Superintendent of the Year®. This distinction honors school system leaders throughout the country who are making a positive difference in the lives of the students they serve, in addition to ensuring the safety and wellness of their school communities.

Co-sponsored by AASA, AIG Retirement Services and First Student, the 2022 National Superintendent of the Year® will be announced during AASA’s National Conference on Education, Feb. 17, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. 

The four finalists for the 2022 National Superintendent of the Year® are:

• Curtis Cain, Wentzville School District, Wentzville, Mo.
• Quincy Natay, Chinle Unified School District No. 24, Chinle, Ariz.
• Kamela Patton, Collier County Public Schools, Naples, Fla.
• Noris Price, Baldwin County Schools, Milledgeville, Ga.

“AIG Retirement Services offers congratulations to the National Superintendent of the Year® finalists, and we thank them for their dedication to students, school employees and community,” said Rob Scheinerman, chief executive officer, AIG Retirement Services. “Educating our children remains a top priority for the country so we need our schools to be a source of both inspiration and stability, and these four exceptional individuals are leading the way. We commend them for their commitment to equity, innovation and improvement.”

“During extraordinary times, it takes a certain type of leader to oversee a school system. These four superintendents represent the hallmark in education excellence, which is why we are so proud to congratulate them,” said Paul G. Osland, president, First Student. “On behalf of the five million student passengers we transport to and from school every day, we thank the finalists for the 2022 National Superintendent of the Year® for the exemplary work they are doing. We are honored to partner with AASA to celebrate the profound contributions these four leaders are making to help create positive pathways for students.”

“Our finalists for the 2022 National Superintendent of the Year® are bold, innovative and future-driven educators who are working diligently to ensure student success in the communities they represent,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. “The champions for children we are honoring know that the one-size-fits-all approach to education is not an option. We are grateful to AIG Retirement Services and First Student for supporting our program.”

The National Superintendent of the Year® finalists will have an opportunity to meet the national education community during a press conference on Thursday, Jan. 13, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The briefing will begin at 3:00 p.m. (ET).

• Leadership for learning – creativity in successfully meeting the needs of students in the school system
• Communication – strength in both personal and organizational communication
• Professionalism – constant improvement of administrative knowledge and skills, while providing professional development opportunities and motivation to others on the education team
• Community involvement – active participation in local community activities and an understanding of regional, national and international issues

A $10,000 college scholarship will be presented in the name of the 2022 National Superintendent of the Year® to a student in the high school from which the superintendent graduated, or the school now serving the same area.

For more information about the program, contact Jennifer Rooney, AASA director, meetings and awards, at jrooney@aasa.org.

Click here to access a list of the AASA 2022 State Superintendents of the Year.

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About AIG Retirement Services
For more than half a century, AIG Retirement Services has served as a leading defined contribution retirement plan provider for tax-exempt and public sector employers, including K-12, higher education, healthcare, government, religious, charitable and other nonprofit organizations. AIG Retirement Services has more than $130 billion in total assets under administration, managing thousands of plans serving approximately 2 million participants. It includes the VALIC family of companies: The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company and its subsidiaries, VALIC Financial Advisors, Inc. and VALIC Retirement Services Company. Additional information can be found at http://www.aig.com/RetirementServices.

About First Student
As the leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, First Student strives to provide the best start and finish to every school day. First Student completes five million student journeys each day, moving more passengers than all U.S. airlines combined. With a team of highly-trained drivers and the industry’s strongest safety record, First Student delivers reliable, quality services including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, route optimization and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 40,000 buses. For more information, please visit
firststudentinc.com.

About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.