We’re thrilled to announce that our 2024 Torch of Leadership Award is presented to Representative Paul Harris (R-Vancouver), who currently serves on the Health Care & Wellness, Appropriations, Education, and Rules committees. He also serves on the Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Aging & Disability, Joint Select Committee on Health Care Oversight, Washington Marine Resources Advisory Council, Joint Oregon-Washington Legislative Action Committee, and the Long-Term Services and Supports Council. He is the House Republican Caucus Chair.
As a member of the House Education Committee, Representative Harris supported legislation that would prevent minors from using vapor and tobacco products, require the Professional Educator Standards Board to adopt rules providing for reviewing and vacating reprimands related to behavior that does not involve students, provide meals for all students, and improve the consistency and quality of training for paraeducators. Importantly for school leaders, he sponsored our request in 2024 for additional funds for principal internships which increased the current funding level by $223,000.
Representative Harris has represented the people of the 17th district for the last 14 years. His family has lived in the district for more than 45 years and he and his wife have five children who all graduated from Mt. View High School in the Evergreen School District. For over a decade, he served on the Evergreen School Board. He is currently running for the Senate position in his district.
Representative Harris can add this award to the long list of honors that he has received as a legislator. Most recently (2023) he received the Washington Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics (WCAAP) David Frockt Child Advocate Award. In 2017, he received the “Y Legislative Champion Award” from the YMCA for leadership in support of children, families, and healthy communities. In 2018, he received the “Annual Secretary of Health Award” from the Washington State Public Health Association. In 2018, he also received the “Courage Award,” and in 2019 earned the “National Distinguished Advocacy Award” from the American Cancer Society for his work on the Tobacco-21 legislation. In 2019, the Washington Association for Career and Technical Education named him “Legislator of the Year.”
About the Award
The Torch of Leadership Award honors individuals serving in the Washington state government who have demonstrated outstanding support of principals and the principalship. The award was established in 2009.
Nominations are submitted by members of the AWSP Advocacy Advisory Council. The final selection is made by committee and AWSP staff members. Recipients are named in the spring after the legislative session and honored in October at the AWSP’s fall Advocacy Committee meeting.