(News release) — A St. Joseph principal has been selected by the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals (MAESP) as a Missouri Distinguished Principal honoree.

 

Joni Owens, principal at Eugene Field Elementary School, will be recognized during a banquet at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach on Saturday, March 11. The ceremony celebrates some of the top elementary and middle school leaders in Missouri.

 

Owens has been with the St. Joseph School District (SJSD) since August 2005. She began her teaching career with SJSD at Edison Elementary School. She also taught at Bessie Ellison before joining Parkway as an assistant principal in 2007. Owens became principal at Eugene Field in 2013. Before moving to St. Joseph, Owens taught for 11 years in various school districts throughout northwest Missouri.

 

One of the principals honored during the 29th Annual Missouri Distinguished Principals’ Banquet will be chosen to represent MAESP on the national level as the Missouri National Distinguished Principal. That selection will be announced on Monday, March 13.

 

The Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals (MOASSP) honored Dr. Lara Gilpin, Spring Garden Middle School, as the Northwest Missouri Region Middle School Principal of the Year during the fall conference in October. Michele Thomason, while still at Benton High School, also earned recognition from MOASSP as the Northwest Missouri Region Assistant Principal of the Year.

 

MOASSP honored Dr. Tyran Sumy, Lafayette High School, during the spring conference in March 2016 as the Northwest Missouri Region Consummate Professional.