Superintendent Eileen King, 51, of Boothbay Harbor has been named Maine’s 2009 Superintendent of the Year.
According to a prepared statement from the Maine School Superintendents Association, King was selected by a committee of her colleagues, including former Superintendent of the Year recipients, Superintendents Association Officers and presidents of Maine Superintendent regions.
She was nominated for the honor by Stephen Ward, vice chairman of the Union 49 school board, who said King is a “well-rounded and seasoned educational and community leader, who expertly balances the multiple facets of operating a school district.”
In a press release, Ward characterized King as a, “Jane of all trades, master of all” and said, “she is equally adept at financial management and curriculum development as she is at overseeing transportation and plant operations.”
Boothbay Town Manager John Anderson said King sets the “gold standard” for superintendents.
Head of School Union 49 and the Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor CSD, King has served the towns of Edgecomb, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport as their Superintendent since 2002.
King began her educational career as a Spanish teacher in Pennsylvania schools in 1980. She relocated to Maine after accepting a teaching position at the Maranacook Community Schools in Readfield in 1985 and accepted a principal’s position at the Skowhegan Area Middle School in 1990.
In 1994, she accepted a position as principal at Boothbay Region Elementary School. According to King, when former Superintendent Mark Keegan announced his resignation, she realized it was an opportunity for her to grow professionally while expanding her knowledge as an educator.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to be a superintendent anywhere else,” said King. “In becoming superintendent here, I felt it was a way to extend the commitment I already had to the schools, the kids and to the community and hopefully do a good job at it.”
King was quick to say she has not accomplished her goals alone and believes such an honor should be shared.
“You don’t get this kind of recognition in isolation,” she said. “It’s through the people you work with. It’s absolutely overwhelming to be recognized in this way. You can’t earn this without including people who are working with you. We have a wonderful school board, administration, staff and parents. Our students are awesome. They come to school ready to learn and our teachers love their jobs. We have a wonderful community, people who are all supportive of education and have high expectations. With their support, we’re allowed to do the job we need to be doing.”
King grew up in South America and attended international schools. A veteran world traveler, she expressed a sincere contentment with where she is today. Her ultimate focus is on the students living in the four towns she serves, King said.
“I love what I do. I love the community, the people and the kids. We all work hard,” she said.
In addition to school responsibilities, King serves on the Boothbay Region YMCA board of directors, chairs the Community Link organization that helps coordinate local services for citizens, and has served on the Domestic Violence Prevention Committee. She also serves as president of the Maine School Superintendents Association.
