2023 Individual Winners

Growth Category 

• Contributes to the development and/or improvement of programs, services, or curriculum; fosters staff growth, effectiveness, or professional development. Addresses existing systemic equity challenges to ensure access.

Kelly Herring - School Based Technology Specialist, Coates Elementary School

Kelly’s unwavering commitment to fostering staff growth, effectiveness, and professional development has had a profound impact on both teachers and students alike at Coates. Her innovative ideas and commitment to excellence have helped her school create a learning environment that is both challenging and supportive. She believes “all students can achieve if given the opportunity” and will go above and beyond to give teachers the tools and support they need to foster innovation and creativity amongst all students. 

Kirsten Maloney - Coordinator IV, Advanced Academics, Instructional Services

Kirsten understands the complexity of advanced academic programming, spearheading efforts to improve equitable access within FCPS. In school year 2020 - 2021 she collaborated with a variety of stakeholders to pilot the use of local building norms in creating the second-grade pool pathway. She led the shift from national norming to local norms with the understanding that if implemented at scale, the results would greatly improve equity within the advanced academic programs throughout the district.

Jessica Nelson - Title I Resource Teacher, Woodburn Elementary School, Instructional Services

Jessica pursues excellence. She brings true professional attributes to her school and genuinely cares about delivering quality work. She develops personal relationships with staff, students, and community members. Woodburn has an ever-changing population, and she continuously adapts activities to suit the needs of all the school’s students and families. She supports data-driven outcomes and sits with teams to analyze data so they can effectively make plans and decisions for student learning. 

Amy Parmentier - Director of Student Services, Chantilly High School

Last year, after serving as an Assistant Principal at Chantilly High School, Amy moved into the challenging role of Director of Student Services. She spent that year enacting positive change throughout the building in her new role. She guided the professional development work in the building and led the professional development work of Student Services. She also actively supported the wellness committee while keeping equity at the center of her own professional practice. Chantilly High School is grateful to her commitment to continuing the hard work of supporting all students through all possible avenues at CHS.

Carlos F. Perez - Financial Analyst I, Information Technology

Carlos has been a valued FCPS employee for over 22 years. His knowledge and contributions have played a critical part in training new employees which fosters staff growth, increases team productivity, and leads to our overall team cohesiveness. Carlos proactively resolves problems quickly and effectively, so workflow continues without interruption and to the benefit of the Division. Carlos embodies an unwavering commitment to FCPS, and his colleagues share that it is a privilege to work alongside him. 

Christina Prishack - Alternative School Teacher, School Improvement and Supports

The Interagency Alternative Schools (IAS) program was without a math coach for a year. When Christina filled that role and joined that team, they were excited for what her expertise could do to increase student success and build teacher capacity. The growth of the math department is largely due to her creation and implementation of much needed curriculum resources, which strengthened teacher confidence and provided challenging, yet accessible, material for students. She is a vital member of the IAS instructional support team. 

Mary-Lynn Robosky - Manager, Curriculum Integration and Support, Instructional Services

Mary-Lynn supports the significant efforts of curriculum and instruction across PreK-12. She leads the overall coordination of organizing teacher-facing curriculum resources published through Schoology and she supports the creation and management of highly used curriculum resource guidance documents for the K-6 levels. Mary-Lynn is also a strong leader and contributor to the expansion of Portrait of a Graduate student outcomes, and she supports elementary schools as needed through collaborative teams in planning and implementing Portrait of a Graduate Presentations of Learning practices. 

Julie Tiss - Career and Transition Teacher, Instructional Services

Julie trains and provides middle school special education staff with the transition resources and skills to teach workplace readiness, career and educational options, employability, self-advocacy, and self-determination. The mission is to start earlier, in middle school, to prepare students with disabilities for the wide variety of options in education and career exploration during and after high school. She has adapted and enhanced the curriculum and trainings for middle school staff through both creativity and data analysis to become a model for FCPS programs. 

Brad Weiner - Educational Specialist, Adapted Physical Education, Special Services

As the 2013 National Adapted P.E. Teacher of the Year, Brad has demonstrated remarkable improvements in the organization's programs through his selflessness, dedication, and growth mindset. His visionary leadership is evident through the creation of a national virtual conference, freely offered to the global adapted physical education community, which has elevated Fairfax County's reputation. His exceptional one-on-one management skills have greatly contributed to the growth and improvement of every single teacher in our program and in turn making our students healthier. 

Impact on Others Category

• Develops successful partnerships and outreach to parents, businesses or neighborhoods; provides community services or service learning projects; displays outstanding responsiveness, customer service, or customer satisfaction. Demonstrates cultural responsiveness in building relationships and leverages impact to address equity.

Sabrina Clarke - Food Services Kitchen Manager Sandburg Middle School

Sabrina goes above and beyond to serve our students. Her fellow staff members have had the opportunity to observe her working with one student in particular. This student needs extra love and support, and Sabrina gives her whole heart and motivates others to do the same. Also, because of the work that she has done with this student, other students view her as a trusted adult and mentor. She works hard, along with members of the administration team, to make meaningful connections with students.

Kristin Dougherty - Educational Specialist, Out-of-School Support, School Improvement and Supports

Kristin is the longest-serving staff member in Out-of-School Support (OSS) and her work is integral to the success of this office. She coordinates homebound/home-based and temporary academic support services for students with complex medical needs, many of whom are served in hospital settings. Kristin collaborates extensively with multiple stakeholders across the division and her impact on students, families, and school teams is immeasurable. She is highly respected and valued by all members of the team and has a positive impact on all people she encounters.

Engy Fanos - Administrative Assistant III, Chief Equity Office

Anyone who interacts with Engy, might assume that she has been with the Office of Professional Learning & Equity since its inception. The truth is that Engy joined the team in January of 2021. Engy so quickly became an integral part of the OPLE fabric, it would be hard to imagine the team without her. Engy embodies the work of equity – affirming every individual she works with by thinking about their perspective, their needs, and how she can best support them. Engy is a constant learner and takes advantage of both internal (Supporting Success) and external opportunities to grow and develop. Engy has continued to cultivate relationships with internal and external stakeholders and is highly respected by all.

Elizabeth Flaherty - Student Information Assistant, Willow Springs Elementary School

"Every Day is a Good Day at Willow Springs!" Liz encapsulated this simple phrase and used it to theme her school’s website. Her love and desire for learning has allowed her to find authentic ways to impact the community beyond her role as the school’s Student Information Assistant. Liz uses the vision of the school’s leadership team to create an online presence that welcomes and provides meaningful information to current and future Willow Springs families, students, staff, and community members. 

Rebecca Gentry - Resource Teacher, Instructional Services

Rebecca, in just two years, has increased the number of summer Health and Physical Education teachers for the Online Campus from 45 to 80. Additionally, last October she began working toward having FCPS approved as an online vendor for Driver's Education (DE). This involved working with multiple entities, along with a team of eight, to coordinate, build and return the myriad of requests by VDOE for changes. Soon we will be the first public school to be approved as a stand-alone DE program. 

Brandi Kapusta - Office Assistant, Brookfield Elementary School

Brandi’s positive impact on others ripples warmly throughout the Brookfield community. Whether she is welcoming teachers as they arrive in the morning, supporting a parent, or assisting a community member with building use, she provides white glove service. Brandi wants everyone visiting Brookfield to feel like a VIP, and she approaches each aspect of her job with this goal in mind. She understands the importance of caring for all who enter the school and puts her whole heart and mind towards this pursuit. 

Chrissy Kelley - Systems of Support Advisor, South Lakes High School

Chrissy, as the Systems of Support Advisor, is a compassionate and dedicated educator who plays a crucial role 
in helping students overcome obstacles to achieve academic success. Chrissy collaborates seamlessly with teachers, administrators, counselors, coaches, and clinical staff, leveraging her problem-solving skills to find solutions when students face challenges. She firmly believes in the resilience of students and works tirelessly to help them understand that missteps are not permanent setbacks. She is an invaluable asset to the South Lakes community.

Elizabeth Mohaupt - Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist, Special Services

Beth is someone that you want on your team. She is hardworking, knowledgeable, creative, thoughtful, but most of all she is kind. She has not only had an impact on the students in her school pyramid but has also impacted many other students in Fairfax County because her creative ideas have been implemented by other Substance Abuse Prevention Specialists. Her efforts have increased the prevention work of our team in innumerable ways. 

Jenna Reeder - Educational Specialist, Staff Development and Training, Strategy, Planning, and Learning

Jenna is an Educational Specialist on the Great Beginnings Team. Serving in this role since 2016, she has had a tremendous positive impact on the experiences of our new teachers and the many stakeholders who support them, including their mentors. Jenna co-created the highly sought-after courses Resilience for Educators Parts 1 and 2. She has also been a member of the Academy project team for several years, focusing on improving professional learning opportunities for teachers and increasing access and opportunities to become Academy instructors. 

George Saad - Project Liaison, Transportation Operations, Chief Operating Office

George is always willing to help solve problems that arise in Transportation. He stepped up to help get vehicle report records corrected and he has been a key player in getting the FCPS database system to link with Mapnet, which enabled us to correct several issues including bus counts, vehicle numbers, spare bus fleet, surveying buses, and correctly assigning parking spaces for each team. Without George’s knowledge and positive attitude, it would have been a lengthy and frustrating chore to complete these tasks. 

Tim Spicer - Health and Physical Education Teacher, Katherine Johnson Middle School

Tim is a compassionate educator who goes above and beyond to assist KJMS students, including some with the most significant cognitive and physical needs. As a physical education teacher, he interacts with students in ways that inspire them to do their best and become more physically fit. His most shining moments occur when he is working in the adaptive PE setting. He has formed such great relationships with the school’s Cat B students and staff that he is often called in to assist with crisis management. 

Jean Welsh - Project Manager, Information Technology

Almost all of the technology that supports students and staff every day in FCPS has been acquired with Jean’s help. She manages dozens of contracts every year, working collaboratively with offices such as Financial Services and Instructional Services. Jean manages and ensures compliance with major federal funding programs and is so adept that FCPS has received multiple commendations from federal and state auditing agencies on the accuracy of FCPS records. Her skill and knowledge have allowed FCPS to employ many of the technologies in use today. 

Innovation Category

• Contributes to efficiency or effectiveness through cost savings, creativity, or problem solving; engages in reflection to craft culturally responsive solutions that eliminate barriers; develops new ideas that show promise for a broad impact to FCPS.

Joe Houston - Coordinator III, Human Resources FASTeam, Human Resources

When an HR office comes to Joe with a challenge, he always rises to the occasion and not only looks at the problem posed but expands his thinking to associated processes and potential future asks. By doing this he prevents a great deal of rework and creates elegant solutions that support both schools and departments. This innovation has been displayed at both the enterprise level and in local HR processes, and with many other tools available to principals and program managers. 

Ken Mai - Risk Analyst II, Financial Services

Ken has extensively evaluated our reporting and documentation measures and streamlined them to be more efficient for the school system. He partnered with Fairfax County Government to obtain vehicle repair estimates to recover damages more quickly and he has worked with our risk management software provider to address online processing of Unusual Field Trips and develop a faster online submission. This was a cost savings to FCPS by eliminating a paper trail and creating a faster response time for schools. 

Student Achievement Category

• Contributes to student success by closing the achievement gap through the use of culturally responsive practices, measuring progress using assessments, implementing interventions, or student engagement.

Susanne Cook - Speech Language Pathologist, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Special Services

Whether working on cluttering or articulation, Dr. Cook welcomes students into the process of communicating clearly, leading to much-desired acquisition of fluency. Students find a safe space where they can implement techniques without fear of being ostracized. Partnering with Teachers for Tomorrow, she brings mentors into her social skills class to foster peer-to-peer conversations. Dr. Cook is a highly respected speech-language pathologist, and her students benefit from her in-depth knowledge of how to provide therapy. She is a true champion for her students. 

Kevin Greata - Assistant Principal, Fairfax High School

Kevin has led the way for the Special Education Department and has kept morale and student focus at the forefront 
in very trying times. He has been paramount in providing the best staffing, interventions, and opportunities to all FHS students. Kevin has devised a compensatory education plan that is grounded in student achievement and supports staff needs in meeting with families and creating a path of promise forward. He collaborated with his department, developed team leaders, and along the way has uplifted student achievement and success.

Charles Hom - Educational Specialist, Professional Development, School Improvement and Supports

Charles is a motivated, professional leader in the Office of School Support whose contributions lift student achievement and engagement in secondary education. His scope extends beyond his role to manage strategic supports of his secondary resource team by leading the work of Project Momentum through data informed coaching and progress monitoring for division high schools in academics, on time graduation, and chronic absenteeism. A trusted partner by schools and division leadership, Charles’ impact drives student achievement to close achievement gaps in FCPS. 

Alisa J. Pappas - Title I Resource Teacher, Groveton Elementary School, Instructional Services

Alisa’s work as the MTSS Coach has resulted in significant gains in student achievement, wellness, and social-emotional learning. She created a unique tool to facilitate MTSS meetings that centers conversations around student strengths, family partnership, cultural awareness, and linguistic diversity. She created an online data wall, accessible to all teachers and staff, which has allowed student progress to be monitored in real time and interventions adapted to meet individual student needs. She empowers others with her positive attitude and expertise!

Quinton Tucker, Jr. - Learning Disabilities Teacher, Terraset Elementary School

Quinton’s data collection, student relationships, and culturally responsive lens contributed to amazing student progress at Terraset last year - his first year as a learning disabilities teacher! All students, families, and staff at Terraset are impressed with his professional and confident nature. He also has assisted with the equity team this year and plans to expand his role to co-lead next year. It will be exciting to see where his career goes after such an amazing first year! 

Rebecca Van Vranken - ESOL Teacher, McLean High School

In Beckie's short time at McLean High School, she has been truly transformative; sharing critical data with school administrators regarding student achievement, knowledge about best practices regarding instruction for ESOL students, and most of all, is a tremendous advocate for her students. As chair of the ESOL department she has quickly proven that she is a strong leader and champion for McLean's ESOL population and ensures her students get the attention and instructional services necessary for them to succeed academically and in life beyond high school.