RICHLAND, WA – Members of the Southeast Washington Association of School Administrators (SEWASA) celebrated the end of the 2017-2018 school year yesterday evening at the annual SEWASA Honorary Awards Banquet. On the evening of June 14, superintendents, community educational advocates, and school administrators representing the twenty-three school districts across southeast Washington gathered at the Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland to recognize outstanding contributions to education.
The annual SEWASA Awards ceremony is hosted each year by Educational Service District (ESD) 123 in partnership with the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA). During the June 14 ceremony, the following recognitions were presented:
- Award of Merit – Dr. Ray Tolcacher, former superintendent of Prosser School District. This award was presented to Dr. Tolcacher for his demonstrated effective leadership at a regional level and for significant contributions to WASA through his work in the field of education in Washington.
- Community Leadership Awards:
- Dan Martin, Burbank Grange (Columbia School District)
- Judi Pilcher, Community Member (Dayton School District)
- Ed Townsend, Community Member (Dixie School District)
- Kristi Haynes, Prevention Education Consultant (ESD 123)
- John Doran, Finley Athletic Director (Finley School District)
- Paul Schneidmiller, World Wide Travel (Walla Walla Public Schools)
- Kathy Valdez, Becky McGuin, and Katherine Bingham, Franklin County Graphic (North Franklin School District)
- Dr. Rebekah Woods, Columbia Basin College (Pasco School District)
- Julie Funfar, Mary Guay, Pam Kindle, Denise Homer, and Mary Gies, Richland Education Foundation (Richland School District)
- Joe Green, Charlotte King, Doris Brower, Eleanor Ferreira, Dorothy Larimore, and Myrlen McKinnon, Brookdale Canyon Lakes (Kennewick School District)
- David McIlroy, Community Member (Starbuck School District)
- Chris Wallace, Community Member (Touchet School District)
- Russ Knopp, School Board Member (Waitsburg School District)
The Community Leadership Award is presented to community members or groups in recognition of their outstanding contributions toward education. Recipients are non-WASA members. Specific criteria includes: benefit to students, leadership, motivation, success, cooperation/coordination with local district, recognition by others, and history of service.
- Retirement Award:
- Dr. Ray Tolcacher, Prosser School District
- Dr. Lou Gates, Columbia School District
- Gregg Taylor, North Franklin School District
The Retirement Award honors service to the profession. This award is presented in honor of service to the profession to a recipient who is retiring from his/her administrative responsibilities and no longer eligible for active WASA membership.
ESD 123 Superintendent Mr. Darcy Weisner states, “The winners of these awards have made a lasting impact on the students and schools across our entire region. Their work is the kind that unfortunately doesn’t always receive the recognition it deserves, but does more for student success than people can imagine.” Superintendent Weisner went on to say, “Our mission statement at ESD 123 is ‘One Team…Helping all students realize their dreams and aspirations.’ We are proud to have these people on our team.”
ESD 123 wishes to congratulate all of the award recipients recognized at the 2018 awards banquet. To view all photographs from the evening’s celebration, visit the ESD 123 Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ESD123. For more information, contact Molly Curtiss at 509.544.5787 or mcurtiss@esd123.org.
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About ESD 123: Educational Service District 123, based in Pasco, WA, is one of nine ESDs in Washington. Dedicated to delivering collaborative solutions that promote learning, ESD 123 serves 23 school districts in seven counties of Southeastern Washington. Under Superintendent Darcy Weisner and its board of directors, this legislatively mandated, not-for-profit educational organization provides efficiency of educational systems and equity of learning opportunities for over 70,000 Washington students. For more information about ESD 123, please call 509-544-5700 or 888-547-8441 or visit www.esd123.org.