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Oak Harbor Intermediate School Principal Wins 2025 Annalee Braley Membership Award from AWSP

Caroline Brumfield, Marketing & Design Director, AWSP
May 5, 2025

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Three people smiling and holding an award plaque at an AWSP event with sponsor banners in background.

Dr. Scott Seaman, AWSP Executive Director, Principal Rae Sasaki Wood, and Scott Friedman, AWSP Associate Director

 

OLYMPIA –– Raenette ("Rae") Sasaki Wood is the fourth winner of AWSP's Annalee Braley Membership Award. Her devotion to mentoring fellow leaders, supporting Leaders of Color, and advocating for the needs of principals and assistant principals demonstrates why she so perfectly honors and carries forward Annalee’s legacy.

Rae has been an AWSP member since 2008. She is currently principal at Oak Harbor Intermediate School in Oak Harbor School District, serving over 700 fifth and sixth grade students and their families. 

Oak Harbor Intermediate's values focus on three pillars: Respect, Responsibility, and Readiness. Staff and students work together to build these values as the heart of their school culture.

Rae is an AWSP "Principal Partner with a Legislator," meaning she emails her legislators at least once each month to provide them relevant insight into issues impacting their local schools. She engaged with legislators this session on the simple majority for bonds bills, "Big 3" funding issues like special education, MSOC, and transportation and with OSPI on the 20 minute seated lunch rules.

Rae has also lent her voice to AWSP board and partners discussions around a Statewide System of Leadership Development.

A longtime mentor with the AWSP Mentor Program, Rae goes above and beyond to seek out and support new Leaders of Color across the state.

"Rae is truly in it to help people. She gives back to AWSP because she feels it is the right thing to do," says AWSP Membership Coordinator, Macy Bruhy.

Rae embodies the AWSP mission of supporting all principals and assistant principals in the education of each and every student. These qualities reflect the heart and spirit of the Annalee Braley Membership Award, making her a truly deserving honoree.

About the Award

The Annalee Braley Membership Award was created in 2022 to honor the memory of former AWSP Membership Coordinator Annalee Braley, who passed away tragically and unexpectedly in September 2021. Annalee started at AWSP when she was just 19 years old and was about to cross over to 32 years of service at AWSP in various roles. Annalee was one of the biggest reasons AWSP has the strongest membership in the country year after year.

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