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Brewton City School Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Varner has been selected as a finalist in the running for the title of Alabama 2022 Superintendent of the Year.

Chosen as the top superintendent for District 1, Varner is among eight other superintendents being considered for the top honor.

The announcement of Varner’s finalist status was made Sept. 10 by the  School Superintendents of Alabama (SSA) and Schneider Electric, an SSA Diamond Level Business Member.

Other finalists from districts across the state include District 2, Mr. Jason Burroughs, Lowndes County; District 3, Dr. Mark Bazzell, Pike County; District 4, Dr. Mark Neighbors, Opelika City; District 5, Dr. Walter Gonsoulin, Jefferson County; District 6, Dr. Suzanne Lacey, Talladega County; District 7, Mr. Jamie Chapman, Pickens County; District 8, Dr. Jimmy Shaw, Florence City, and District 9, Mr. Kevin Dukes, Jackson County.

The statewide judging of Alabama’s finalists and the announcement of the Alabama/Schneider Electric 2022 Superintendent of the Year will occur during the SSA Fall Conference in Florence, AL.  The Alabama/Schneider Electric Superintendent of the Year will then be honored at a luncheon sponsored by Schneider Electric on January 11, 2022, held during SSA’s Legislative Conference in Montgomery. Schneider Electric will provide Alabama’s winner with a Superintendent of the Year ring and travel expenses to the AASA National Conference on Education, February 17-19, 2022, in Nashville.  At the National Conference, Alabama’s winner will receive a bronze medallion with the Superintendent of the Year emblem on it and a plaque from AASA – The School Superintendents Association, SSA’s national affiliate and sponsor of this program.  Each state’s winner will be recognized during the AASA National Conference where the national winner for 2022 will be announced.  Nominations for this award were submitted from each of SSA’s nine districts. The state winner will be determined based on his or her career achievements and success in advancing public education. School Superintendents of Alabama (SSA) represents superintendents and school system leaders around the state, providing a leading voice in sound public policy development and advocacy; quality professional learning opportunities; and meaningful collaboration and networking.