Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

NAESP Recognizes Nation's Top Principals During National Principals Month

  • 10/08/15

Alexandria, Va. – Outstanding elementary and middle school principals from across the nation and abroad have been named 2015 National Distinguished Principals (NDPs) by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). The K-8 principals will be honored October 16 at an awards banquet in Washington, D.C. This year marks the 26th year that the program has been generously funded by VALIC.

Established in 1984, the two-day NDP celebration program, which will be held at the Capital Hilton Hotel, recognizes public and private school principals who make superior contributions to their schools and communities. The principals will also have the opportunity to share best practices. The 59 principal honorees are selected by NAESP state affiliates and by committees representing private and overseas schools.

NAESP Executive Director Gail Connelly congratulated the class of outstanding principals, noting their significant role in successfully leading students, schools, and communities through seismic shifts in education. “Only a school principal can lead a school to success and positively impact an entire learning community,” she said. “That is why I am so pleased to congratulate this year’s class of National Distinguished Principals—they richly deserve this honor and many more.”

“VALIC is very proud of our 26 year partnership with the National Distinguished Principals Award Program,” said Jana Greer, President and CEO, Individual and Group Retirement, AIG. “We recognize the critical role education plays in the lives of our nation’s children, and principals are the key to ensuring the highest quality education. On behalf of VALIC, I warmly congratulate all 59 of this year’s National Distinguished Principals and extend my deepest thanks for all that they do.”

It is particularly fitting to acknowledge the work of principals in October because it is National Principals Month, which was established to recognize and honor the contributions of school principals and assistant principals toward the success of the nation’s students, and encourage awareness of their significance.

A list of the 2015 NDPs and their biographical information can be accessed at www.naesp.org/2015-class-national-distinguished-principals.

Featured

  • Carnegie Mellon University Receives $3B Gift to Launch New Campus

    Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Penn., recently announced that it has received $3 billion—the largest individual gift in higher education history—from Citadel CEO and founder Ken Griffin, according to a news release.

  • Longwood University Hits Construction Milestone on New Music Education Facility

    Longwood University in Farmville, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of its new music education and performance facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with development and construction firm Skanska on the 63,800-square-foot facility, which began construction in August 2025 and has an estimated completion date of fall 2028.

  • UPenn Announces Completion of New Veterinary Education Facility

    The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Penn., recently finished construction on an 11,800-square-foot veterinary education building, according to a news release. The Gail P. Riepe Center for Advanced Veterinary Education is the first dedicated classroom facility at the New Bolton Center, a large-animal hospital and campus about 35 miles west of the campus proper.