Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent MaryEllen Elia was named Florida’s 2015 Superintendent of the Year today by the Florida Association of District School Superintendents.
Elia was recognized in Tampa during a joint meeting of the association and the Florida School Boards Association.
Elia was appointed Superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools in 2005. She began her career as a social studies teacher in New York in 1970. She moved to Tampa in 1986 to become a reading resource specialist. Over the next 20 years, Elia was promoted to key positions in the district, before taking the helm of what is now the 8th largest school district in the nation.
“I am deeply honored by this award," she said in a prepared statement. "I know the success of our district is due to the longevity of our leaders. My predecessor, Dr. Earl Lennard, was also a double digit Superintendent for Hillsborough County and that sets us apart. It takes teamwork by our staff, students, parents, school board members, and myself, working together in a very focused way.”
