Article courtesy of Baird
Baird was pleased to honor nearly 40 Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) teachers and principals at the 11th annual Baird Excellence Awards at the Waterfront Botanical Gardens on Monday. The awards ceremony, sponsored by Baird, recognizes outstanding teaching and leadership performance from educators across the district.
Baird Vice Chair Jim Allen, JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio, and Congressman Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky provided remarks at the ceremony.
Baird is thrilled to celebrate the dedicated teachers and administrators in JCPS and the critical role they play in educating young people in Louisville.
“We owe so much to our educators, especially the teachers and administrators who continue to go above and beyond for their students, both in and out of the classroom,” said Congressman Morgan McGarvey. “It’s an honor to play even a small part in recognizing the unmatched dedication, compassion, and hard work of this year’s award recipients—our JCPS kids, families, and schools are so lucky to have you.”
Dr. Pollio stated, “It takes intelligence, hard work and, most importantly, passion to be a great teacher. These JCPS educators share all three of these characteristics. We thank them for sharing their talents and passion with our students and thank Baird for recognizing our best educators, year after year, with this prestigious award.”
I can’t say enough about the dedication of our award recipients and their unwavering commitment to JCPS students,” Allen said. “Baird is proud to help support their endeavors and celebrate these remarkable educators for all that they have done for their students and for Louisville.
Following are the 2024 Baird Excellence Awards recipients.
Teacher Awards:
Joni Collins, Crums Lane Elementary School
Ben Welp, Western Middle School
Shantel Reed, Central High School
Student-Nominated Awards:
Judie Boyd, Norton Elementary School
William Barnett, Pathfinder School of Innovation
Mark LaMaster, Fern Creek High School
Principal Awards:
Rebecca Haynes, Hawthorne Elementary School
Lekieta Chinn, W.E.B. DuBois Academy
Jarrad Durham, Jeffersontown High School
Academic Instructional Coach:
Jason Harvey, Phoenix School of Discovery
Special Education Administrator:
Angela Williams, Seneca High School
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs):
Kaylee Salamon, Jim Lenz, Brooke Moore, Katelyn Donlon, Echo Trail Middle School
Jordan Rosendahl, Dianna Ford, Dilli Adhikari, Anne Miller, Rita Robinson-Secession, Newcomer Academy, Accelerate to Graduation (A2G PLC)
Health Services Award:
Angela Robinson, Jacob Elementary School
FRYSC Champion Award:
Carla Wright, Breckinridge Metropolitan High School
Financial Literacy Leadership Award:
Allison Cecil, duPont Manual High School
Community Partnership Awards:
Bellarmine University Teacher Award: Hannah McKenna, Iroquois High School
Bill Alden Special Recognition Award: Allyson Vitato, Maupin Elementary School
Class Act Federal Credit Union Teacher Award: Laura Motley, Waggener High School
Compassionate School Project Award: Lindsey Beth Thierauf, Watterson Elementary School
Unistar Purchasing Solutions/FRYSC Award: Dr. Frank Mays, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School
The Barbara Sexton Smith Teacher Award presented by Fund for the Arts: Lisa Simon, Bellewood Home for Children
Jefferson Community and Technical College Teacher Award: Wendy Robertson, Doss High School
Junior Achievement Teacher Award: Stacey Hodges, ECE School Support, JCPS
Kentucky Science Center Administrator Award: Tonkeyta Rodgers, Elev8 Student Learning Center
Metro United Way Early Care and Education Award: Brian Clark, Duvalle Education Center
Metro United Way Out-of-School Time Leadership Award: Madalyn Marables, Atherton High School
University of Louisville Teacher Award: Scott Woodburn, Perry Elementary School
Evolve502 Champion Award: Keturah Wright, Fern Creek High School
YMCA Award for Youth Development: Mark Boyer, Klondike Elementary School
