Southmont Board Member Receives Award for Commitment to Professional Learning

Mrs. Julie Hess, a Southmont Schools Board of Trustees member, has received the Commendable Governance Award from the Indiana School Boards Association (ISBA).

ISBA’s Exemplary Governance Awards (EGA) program celebrates school boards and school board members for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to continuous improvement and professional learning through active participation in ISBA or ISBA-recognized trainings, seminars, and conferences.

This year’s 179 school board member honorees were formally recognized at ISBA’s Spring Regional Meetings. The recipients include 82 Commendable board members, 48 Advanced board members, 24 Distinguished board members, and 25 Exemplary board members.

“The Indiana School Boards Association is extremely proud to extend our congratulations to the award winners on this impressive accomplishment,” said ISBA Executive Director Terry Spradlin. “On behalf of ISBA, I commend them for their dedication to the children and school communities they represent and for actively engaging with the Association’s programs and services.”

“As leaders of our local school systems, it is imperative that we avail ourselves of the best professional development we can to better serve our communities.” said ISBA President Tom Simpson. “I commend our EGA winners who have made the commitment to the ongoing improvement of their competence and knowledge. School governance is a diverse and complex job, and these dedicated board members are leading the way as models of school board service. Congratulations to all!”

In addition to the individual accolades, school boards qualify for awards based on the collective EGA status of their individual members and the completion of certain additional criteria. There are 88 school boards that earned recognition through the EGA program this year.

ISBA provides a full range of professional development and training opportunities to help board members govern effectively. At dozens of events throughout the year, ISBA informs and educates board members about best practices, legislative issues, policy development, and school law.

For more information about the EGA program requirements and to see the full list of individual and board awards for 2021, please visit https://www.isba-ind.org/ega-awards.html.

Southmont Schools has over 1,600 students, and consists of three elementary schools, one junior high school, and one middle school. Each and every Southmont Schools campus has one goal: preparing students for what comes next. From our earliest learners in the Little Mountie Preschool program, to our high school students getting ready to enter post-secondary education or the workforce – Southmont Schools strives to ensure each student has the ability, the education, and the passion to succeed.