Recipients of the Principal of the Year award are graduates of the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations (EAF) who have made a positive impact on the schools they serve. The following two alumni educators were recognized with the award in 2016 and 2017. The newest honoree will be announced at the 2018 EAF on the Red Carpet Spring Gala on Saturday, May 5, at the DoubleTree Hotel.

2016 award recipient Deloris Brown ’07, M.S. ’10, has always had the interests of others in mind. She has served the field for 10 years, the first five as a social science teacher at Lanphier High School in Springfield. Brown is a student in the EAF P–12 doctoral program and the principal of Decatur Middle School and goes by the motto “Committed to educate all students for lifelong success. Failure is not an option!”

2017 award recipient Andy Walsh ’02, M.S. ’10, has been with the Olympia Community Unit School District since 2006, where he started as a high school social studies teacher and later served as a football coach. In 2010 Olympia Middle School hired Walsh as its principal, and he continues to serve in this position. He is recognized for his exemplary leadership for the district and at his school, and he is a highly sought-after presenter for several local and state conferences.