Maine’s 2024 Superintendent of the Year, Assistant Superintendent of the Year are UMaine alums
Jonathan Moody of MSAD 54 (Skowhegan, Canaan, Mercer, Smithfield, Cornville and Norridgewock) is Maine’s 2024 Superintendent of the Year and Kathy Harris-Smedberg of the Bangor School Department is the 2024 Assistant Superintendent of the Year, the Maine School Superintendents Association announced last week.
Moody holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Maine and a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of Maine at Farmington. Harris-Smedberg has both a master’s and doctorate (Ph.D.) in educational leadership from UMaine.
The Maine Department of Education published announcements about the awards, calling Moody “a quiet, humble yet incredibly effective educational leader” and Harris-Smedberg “a visionary systems thinker and a thoughtful leader.”
“Successful leaders communicate well, and Maine’s 2024 Superintendent of the Year, Jonathan Moody has a simple yet effective approach to communicating: He listens, he is involved, and he shares,” read the announcement about Moody. “He listens to school board members, community members, parents, students, and staff. He seeks ways to get feedback and requires others in his organization to do the same. He involves others, encourages engagement, and seeks representation from everyone in the room, making sure to bring in those groups not otherwise represented. He shares what is learned, he shares feedback, and he shares decisions.”
“Kathy exemplifies the qualities of school leadership that we all value,” read the announcement about Harris-Smedberg. “She is a role model for what a leader should be: intelligent, humble, thoughtful, and caring. She is explicit in her expectations, but understandable in their achievement. She cares deeply about the mission and vision of the Bangor School Department, and holds true to that in every conversation, interaction, and decision. She cares deeply about kids, and it guides every decision she makes.”