SOESC hosts ‘An Evening of Excellence in Action’ at 2026 Tri-County Celebration

The Southern Ohio Educational Service Center (SOESC) proudly hosted the 2026 Tri-County Celebration: An Evening of Excellence in Action on May 13 at the Laurel Oaks Career Campus. The event brought together educators, administrators, support staff, students, board members and community partners from across Clinton, Fayette and Highland counties to recognize outstanding achievement and service across the region.

“The Tri-County Celebration was a truly wonderful opportunity to honor the exceptional educators, leaders, support staff members, students and community partners who make a lasting difference across our region,” said Curt Bradshaw, Superintendent of the Southern Ohio Educational Service Center.

Bradshaw explained, “The SOESC is proud to serve and support school districts throughout our region, and this celebration reflects the very best of what happens when schools, families, and communities work together in service to students. Each honoree represents a powerful example of excellence in action — through daily commitment, leadership, service and care for others. We are grateful for the opportunity to recognize these outstanding individuals and celebrate the strength, pride and promise of our local school communities.”

District Award Honorees and Nominees

Blanchester Local Schools
Award Honorees
• 2025 Science of Reading Champion - Putman Elementary School
• 2024 Momentum Building Award - Blanchester High School
• 2025 Momentum District Award - Blanchester Local Schools
• 2025 Momentum Building Award - Blanchester Middle School, Blanchester High School
• 2024-25 Ohio School Report Card 4.5-Star District Overall Rating - Blanchester Local Schools
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4.5-Star Building Rating - Blanchester High School
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4-Star Building Rating - Putman Elementary School,
Blanchester Middle School
• Outstanding Educator Award - Kelley Neumann, Kindergarten Teacher.
Nominees
• Collaborative Team Excellence Nominee - Blanchester Local Schools District Leadership Team
• Rising Star Educator Nominee - Laura Yablonsky, Middle School Math Teacher

Bright Local Schools
Award Honorees
• Highland County Franklin B. Walter Student Award Recipient - Marley Gobin.
• Purple Star School Class of 2026 3-Year Renewal - Whiteoak Jr./Sr. High School
• Excellence in Educational Leadership Award - Whitney Gobin, Elementary Principal
Nominees
• Collaborative Team Excellence Nominees - District Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
Team; Bright Elementary Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) Team; Brianne
Lee, Director of Curriculum & Literacy
• Innovation In Education Nominee - Bright Local Schools Board of Education
• Excellence in Service Nominee - Lisa Beresford, Special Education Director
• Rising Star Educator Nominee - Cole Schaefer, Jr./Sr. High Physical Education Teacher
• Outstanding Educator Nominee - Kim Roush, Jr. High School Science Teacher.

Clinton-Massie Local Schools
Award Honorees
• Clinton County Franklin B. Walter Award Student Recipient - Daniel Mefford
• Purple Star School Class of 2025 3-Year Renewal - Clinton-Massie High School
• Purple Star School Class of 2026 3-Year Renewal - Clinton-Massie Middle School
• Momentum Award - 2025 Building Award - Clinton-Massie Elementary School
• 2024-25 Ohio School Report Card 4.5-Star District Overall Rating - Clinton-Massie Local
Schools
• 2024-25 Ohio School Report Card 4.5-Star Building Rating - Clinton-Massie Elementary School
• 2024-25 Ohio School Report Card 4-Star Building Rating - Clinton-Massie High School
• Collaborative Team Excellence Award - Clinton-Massie School Nurse Team (Laura Hart, Tiffany Penewit, Emily Webb)
Nominees
• Innovation in Education Nominee - Scott Morgan, High School Math Teacher
• Excellence in Service Nominee - Stephen Ford, Support Staff Supervisor
• Outstanding Educator Nominee - Scott Rolf, High School Math Teacher.

East Clinton Local Schools
Award Honorees
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4.5-Star Building Rating - Sabina Elementary School
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4-Star Building Rating - New Vienna Elementary School
Nominees
• Rising Star Educator Nominees - Steven Sodini, High School Principal; Leigha Young,
Kindergarten Teacher
• Outstanding Educator Nominee - Kyle McClellan, High School Intervention Specialist.

Fairfield Local Schools
Award Honorees
• 2023-2024 Ohio School Report Card Overall 5-Star Rating - Fairfield Middle School
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4.5-Star District Overall Rating - Fairfield Local Schools
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4.5-Star Building Rating - Fairfield High School
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4-Star Building Rating - Fairfield Elementary School &
Fairfield Middle School
• Excellence in Service Award - Quintin Baker, Maintenance Coordinator
Nominees
• Collaborative Team Excellence Nominee - Fairfield Elementary PTO Team
• Innovation in Education Nominees - Alison Ballard, Librarian/Paraprofessional; Fairfield Middle School Teaching Staff & Innovation Committee
• Excellence in Educational Leadership Nominee - Steve Hackett, High School Principal
• Excellence in Service Nominee - Shirley Hart, Custodian
• Outstanding Educator Nominee - Charles Webb, High School Business Teacher.

Great Oaks Career Campuses / Laurel Oaks Career Campus
Award Honorees
• Purple Star School Class of 2025 New Designation - Laurel Oaks Career Campus
• 2024 & 2025 Career-Technical Planning District Overall 5-Star Award - Great Oaks Career
Campuses
Nominees
• Excellence in Educational Leadership Nominee - Shea Havens-White, Assistant Dean of
Instruction
• Excellence in Service Nominee - Jackie McLarty, Work-Based Learning Aide.

Greenfield Exempted Village Schools
Award Honorees
• 2026 Science of Reading Champions - Buckskin Elementary School, Greenfield Elementary School, Rainsboro Elementary School
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4.5-Star Building Rating - Greenfield Middle School
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4-Star Building Rating - Greenfield Elementary School
• Innovation in Education Award - Nate Luke, High School Technology Teacher & Madison
Schumacher, High School Agricultural Science Teacher
Nominees
• Collaborative Team Excellence Nominee - District Leadership Team
• Excellence In Educational Leadership Nominees - Alisa Barrett, Director of Instruction; Bob
Schumm, Greenfield Elementary Assistant Principal
• Excellence In Service Nominees - Kris Davis, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent; Casey Gardiner, Elementary Paraprofessional
• Rising Star Educator Nominees - Brook Beatty, First Grade Teacher; Brock Haines, Business Teacher
• Outstanding Educator Nominees - Wanda Carter, Intervention Specialist; Katie Paugh,
Intervention Specialist; Angie Johnson, English Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher; Jayme Johnson, Elementary Math Specialist.

Hillsboro City Schools
Award Honorees
• Purple Star School Class of 2025 3-Year Renewal - Hillsboro High School
• 2023-2024 Ohio School Report Card 5-Star Building Rating - Hillsboro Intermediate School
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 5-Star Building Rating - Hillsboro Intermediate School
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4-Star Building Rating - Hillsboro Primary School.

Lynchburg-Clay Local Schools
Award Honorees
• Purple Star School Class of 2025 New Designation - Lynchburg-Clay High School
• 2026 Science of Reading Champion - Lynchburg-Clay Elementary School
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4-Star District Overall Rating - Lynchburg-Clay Local
Schools
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4.5-Star Building Rating - Lynchburg-Clay Elementary
School
Nominees
• Collaborative Team Excellence Nominee - District Multi-Tiered System of Supports
(MTSS)/Problem-Solving Team
• Excellence in Service Nominee - Kelli Rowley, Bus Driver
• Rising Star Educator Nominee - Angela Miller, Fourth Grade Math Teacher
• Outstanding Educator Nominee - Paula Ekstedt, Middle/High School Spanish Teacher.

Miami Trace Local Schools
Award Honorees
• Fayette County Franklin B. Walter Award Student Recipient - Isabelle DeBruin
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4-Star Building Rating - Miami Trace Elementary School
• Rising Star Educator - Olivia Veidt, Second Grade Teacher
Nominees
• Collaborative Team Excellence Nominee - Sixth Grade Math Team
• Innovation in Education Nominee - Sunny Cummings, Elementary Assistant Principal
• Excellence in Educational Leadership Nominees - Jack Anders, Safety & Transportation
Director; Montana Coe, School Resource Officer
• Excellence in Service Nominee - Megan Hall, Custodian
• Outstanding Educator Nominee - Cory Patton, High School Science Teacher.

Washington Court House City Schools
• Purple Star School Class of 2025 3-Year Renewal - Washington High School
• 2025 Science of Reading Champions - Belle Aire Intermediate School, Cherry Hill Primary School
• 2024-2025 Ohio School Report Card 4-Star Building Rating - Cherry Hill Primary School
Nominees
• Innovation in Education Nominee - Jenny Woods, First Grade Teacher
• Excellence in Educational Leadership Nominee - Brady Streitenberger, High School Principal
• Excellence in Service Nominees - Ashley Kearns, Registered Nurse; Michaela Sanderson,
Special Education Case Manager; Ben Streitenberger, Middle School Band Teacher
• Rising Star Educator Nominee - Kacey Woodbridge, Intervention Specialist
• Outstanding Educator Nominee - Carrie Davis, Kindergarten Teacher; Erica Halliday, Second Grade Teacher; Jenny Woods, First Grade Teacher.

Wilmington City Schools
Award Honorees
• Collaborative Team Excellence Award - Wilmington Middle School Positive Behavioral
Interventions & Supports (PBIS) Climate and Culture Team
Nominees
• Collaborative Team Excellence Nominees - District Attendance Team, District Leadership Team, Roy E. Holmes Elementary Tier 2 Team
• Outstanding Educator Nominees - Sheena Henry, Bert Martini & Jennifer Nagel, Instructional Coaches.

Friend of Education Awards
The SOESC Friend of Education Awards recognize individuals and organizations whose partnership, advocacy, and support have made a meaningful and lasting difference for students and school communities.
• Clinton County Honoree: Karen Long, Clinton County Literacy Foundation
• Fayette County Honoree: The Hands of Christ Street Ministry
• Highland County Honoree: Backpack Clubs of Hillsboro Church of Christ and Mowrytown
Church of Christ.

Honoring Retiring Superintendents
The celebration also honored four retiring district superintendents for their leadership and service:
• Mr. Randy Dunlap, Superintendent, Blanchester Local Schools
• Mr. Ron Sexton, Superintendent, Lynchburg-Clay Local Schools
• Mrs. Kim Pittser, Superintendent, Miami Trace Local Schools
• Mr. Tim Dettwiller, Superintendent, Wilmington City Schools.

The Southern Ohio Educational Service Center extends its deepest appreciation to every educator, staff member, student, administrator, board member, and community partner recognized throughout the 2026 Tri-County Celebration. The collective work of our educational community continues to reflect the spirit of “Excellence in Action” across the region.