PANAMA CITY — Bay District Superintendent Bill Husfelt earned statewide accolades Thursday for his tireless service to the district’s foundation, which provides grants and scholarships to students and employees.
The Bay Education Foundation “does more to impact students and their future than any other one I’ve ever worked with in public education,” Husfelt said Friday.
Husfelt attended the 69th annual Joint Conference of Florida School Boards Association and Florida Association of District School Superintendents in Tampa this week. He was one of two superintendents in the state to be named STAR Superintendent by the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, an organization of leaders from 59 education foundations throughout the state.
The consortium nominated school system leaders for the eighth annual awards and rated nominees for leadership and involvement with their local education foundation.
The Bay Foundation said it nominated Husfelt for his dedication despite the many demands on his time and noted how he personally secures support for the foundation’s events and encourages others to get involved.
Bay Education Foundation president Leon Walters was at the convention to congratulate Husfelt when he received the STAR award.
“Bill Husfelt shows up,” Walters said. “I don’t think he’s missed an important foundation activity during his entire five years in office.”
Husfelt had been a member of the foundation for more than 20 years and has stayed actively involved throughout his tenure as superintendent.
Husfelt said he gladly gives his time and energy to the foundation since its philosophy hangs on working diligently in the community to secure much needed funding for scholarships for academic and professional development.
To him, being recognized is the icing on top of seeing the good results come out of the foundation’s work in mentoring the district’s students and educators.
“I’m just very humbled by it,” Husfelt said.