OLYMPIA ––Ron Banner, Superintendent of Clover Park School District, was selected by 2025-26 AWSP Board President Jason Smith as the recipient of the 2026 AWSP President’s Award.
Clover Park School District serves students and their families in Lakewood and on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Ron believes that highly effective principals serve as one of the greatest influences on student achievement. He puts that belief into action in his ongoing support of each and every school leader in the district.
This isn’t Ron’s only recent administrative leadership award. Ron was also named 2025 Superintendent of the Year by the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA).
Ron embraced and endorsed AWSP’s Empowering Excellence series in Clover Park, modeling how the School Leader Paradigm should be the district language of leadership from top to bottom for all leaders.
According to AWSP Executive Director Dr. Scott Seaman, “Ron realized that the only way to improve student outcomes is by supporting the ongoing growth and sustainability of his school leaders. The Empowering Excellence series wasn’t just another leadership council meeting; it was deep reflection and rich conversation that Ron fully participated and engaged as the Learning Leader of the Learning Organization.”
Ron serves as a spokesperson for AWSP, our programs, our resources, and our ability to bring meaningful, relevant, and powerful professional learning to an entire district.
The AWSP President’s Award was presented to Ron on June 29 during the AWSP Luncheon at the AWSP/WASA Annual Summer Conference in Spokane.
About the Award
Every year, the AWSP Board President selects an educational leader to receive the AWSP President’s Award. The award goes to someone who is a relentless advocate for principals, assistant principals, and the principalship in the education of each and every student.
