Three St. Joseph School District administrators were honored at the Northwest Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals.
Dr. Tyran Sumy, Lafayette High School Principal was awarded the Consummate Professional Award. Dr. Lara Gilpin, Spring Garden Middle School Principal, was awarded Middle School Principal of the Year, and Michele Thomason, Benton High School Assistant Principal, was awarded the Assistant Principal of the Year award.
“I am extremely proud of these three well-deserving educators,” said Sandy Steggall, Director of Education for the St. Joseph School District. “All three are exceptional educational leaders and role models for their buildings and have contributed many years to our district.”
Dr. Tyran Sumy received the Consummate Professional award. She has served at Lafayette High School for nineteen years, starting there in 1996 as vice principal and becoming principal in 2000. The Consummate Professional Award recognizes a practicing administrator who makes contributions to school and community; demonstrates leadership in improving student achievement; demonstrates leadership to principals and MASSP; ensures the school climate is positive and reflects high staff and student morale; is respected by students, colleagues, parents and the community at large; and serves as a mentor to other administrators.
Dr. Lara Gilpin received the Middle School Principal of the Year award. She has been principal at Spring Garden since 2002, previously
serving as assistant principal of Robidoux Middle School from 1999 – 2001 and assistant principal at Truman Middle School from 2001 – 2002. Gilpin joined the district as a physical education teacher at Spring Garden in 1993, where she taught for six years. She has been with the district for twenty-two years.
Michele Thomason received the Assistant Principal of the Year award. She has served as the Benton Assistant Principal since 2013. Previously, she served as assistant principal, then principal at the Colgan Alternative Resource Center, as an instructional coach at Bode Middle School, and as a math teacher at Spring Garden and Bode middle schools. She first began teaching in the SJSD in 1996.
Award recipients will go on to represent the Northwest Missouri District at the statewide conference. The Consummate Professional Award will be celebrated at the spring conference in March, and the Principal of the Year and Assistant Principal of the Year awards will be recognized and celebrated at the fall conference.