Beth Justice of Southern Ohio ESC receives Superintendent Award of Excellence

On July 18, Mrs. Beth Justice, Superintendent of Southern Ohio Educational Service Center (SOESC), was celebrated at the annual Martha Holden Jennings Award Banquet at the Marriott Cleveland East in Warrensville. She was chosen to receive one of the five Superintendent Awards of Excellence from the Jennings Foundation.

The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation has proudly served for 65 years with a dual mission: to maximize the potential of Ohio's PreK-12 public school students and to honor public school educators, thereby bringing recognition to the teaching profession. Educational Service Centers are considered public school partners with the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation mission.

This distinguished award comes with a $1,000 grant to be used at SOESC's discretion. Leading the nomination of Mrs. Justice in high regard for this award was Dr. Norma Kirby, Governing Board President of SOESC.

As stated by Dr. Kirby, "Mrs. Justice is a visionary, student-centered leader of SOESC with a steadfast commitment to the success of students, staff, and community. She is a master at encouraging others to reach their potential as well as supporting them in efforts to improve and grow. She appreciates the strengths, abilities and talents of others and provides them with the opportunities to use all three in their work with students. She exemplifies the words of Helen Keller as she leads, ‘Alone we can do little; together we can do so much.’ Her impact extends far beyond the walls of any school or district. She has been a mentor, a friend, and a guiding light to countless individuals, offering encouragement, wisdom and support when they need it most."
 
SOESC is designated as a High Performing ESC by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. It directly services 12 districts in Adams, Clinton, Fayette and Highland Counties. In addition, SOESC serves as the fiscal agent for the Region 14/Hopewell Center, which provides state support services and special education cooperative services to 18 schools. Together, SOESC empowers excellence by transforming education through dynamic partnerships for their students and community.

Mrs. Justice, an extraordinary individual whose dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment have left an indelible mark on SOESC, will retire on July 31 after 36 years of service in education, 10 of those years at SOESC. Governing Board of SOESC named Mr. Curt Bradshaw as the new superintendent, and he will begin his role on Aug. 1, 2024.

Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.