Pierce named KASA Administrator of the Year

By TONY FYFFE

BSN Editor

FRANKFORT – Flat Gap Elementary School Principal Chris Pierce has been named the building-level Administrator of the Year by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators.

Pierce was presented the award at KASA’s annual leadership conference in Louisville, July 28.

The award represents the highest honor KASA bestows on active administrators, recognizing “outstanding leadership, significant contributions to the effectiveness of the association, and the respect they bring to themselves, their colleagues, and their profession,” a KASA release said.

“Pierce took the long and winding road to school leadership,” the release said. “Job-hopping after high school led him to become a custodian in his district. There, he realized his passion for working with students, and soon moved into other classified roles, including coach and family resource center director, all while working on his teaching degree. As a teacher, he soon embarked on his leadership path. In every role he has held, from custodian to principal, he has always put the needs of others first and does it with a positive attitude and smile. His colleagues point out numerous leadership attributes that he brings to his work: dedication, determination, work ethic, and personal growth. As a result, said one, he is not just a principal, but ‘a confidant, mentor and friend to staff and students alike.’”

A member of KASA since 2015, Pierce has “embraced KASA’s Leadership Challenge Initiative, and quickly went from being a participant to a being a facilitator.”

“He models and shares the five practices of exemplary leadership with everyone he meets,” the release said. “He is thus able to infuse his entire district with enhanced leadership skills and practices.”

KASA’s Leadership Awards Program is offered in partnership with American Fidelity Assurance Company.