LM May 2025

Having first been a participant in the ISAL program and later the facilitator, what transformations have you witnessed in participants that have been most meaningful to you personally? Q : IASA’s School for Advanced Leadership (ISAL) has truly been a blessing for so many of our superintendents over the past several years. I don’t think it’s been a coincidence that superintendents who have gone through the ISAL program have truly enhanced their “leadership” qualities by serving in various IASA roles within their regions or in the state, by lead ing workshops and Academies at conferences, by keynoting and sharing their experiences in a variety of venues, and by writing books and articles promoting the value of quality leadership in our profession. ISAL provides a unique blend of both professional AND personal reflections and challenges to support one’s leadership growth to not only enhance/improve their school districts but also to grow as a leader and as an individual who can greatly impact others in our profession. Having had the pleasure of working with Dr. Nancy Blair for each of those cohorts has also taught me to be a better leader and person, which I was able to utilize in my roles with IASA. A :

I truly believe that most of us go into education to make a difference and to make the world a better place because of our efforts. Whether we focus on students, teachers, admin istrators, communities, or superintendents, the end game— hopefully—is to make that difference or to have improved the world in some way. Having been blessed to be a part of IASA for the past 13 years, I have seen the efforts of the Association do all that it can to support our superintendents and school leaders in every way possible to provide the best educational “systems” they can for their respective communities, and to support them in their leadership journeys to have that impact. My hope for my legacy is that I not only supported and represented the Association and its mission successfully, but that I positively impacted the next generation of school leaders—our superintendents—one superintendent at a time. Looking back at your journey from superintendent to pioneering t he Field Services Director role to your work with ISAL, what legacy do you hope to leave on educational leadership in Illinois? Q : A :

Got Great School Videos? Send your school videos with a short description to jnevel@iasaedu.org. We want to highlight what’s going on in your school districts on our magazine’s Videos from the Districts page.

Monthly e-magazine of Leadership Matters

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LM April 2025