Proud Principals Podcast with Tony Cattani

Mark Andresen is the 2025 North Dakota Secondary School Principal of the Year.

Mark is the principal of Mandan High School in Mandan, ND. Previously, he was a science teacher and girls’ basketball coach. In his 21 years as principal of Mandan, he has worked diligently to improve test scores, graduation rates, and dual credit opportunities, as well as to support and implement numerous programs that benefit all students. Most recentl...

Terita Walker - 2025 Colorado State Principal of the Year and NASSP National Principal of the Year Finalist. 

Terita Walker has served as the principal of East High School in Denver, CO, for four years. She has transformed the school into a model of inclusivity, academic excellence, and student empowerment. Through intentional leadership and a deep commitment to equity, she has fostered a culture where students and staff thrive. Re...

Spencer Long is the 2025 Tennessee Secondary Principal of the Year.

Spencer Long is the executive principal of Halls High School in Halls Crossroads, TN Knox County. A proud alumnus of Halls, he began his career at Halls as a science teacher and assistant football and baseball coach. He moved into administration with roles as an athletic director and assistant principal. Under his leadership, Halls successfully completed it...

Pierre Orbe - New York Secondary Principal of the Year - 2025 DeWitt Clinton High School New York City

Pierre Orbe is the principal of DeWitt Clinton High School in Bronx, NY. Previously, he was a science teacher and an assistant principal. He leads one of the nation’s most historic schools—alma mater to icons like Stan Lee, Ralph Lauren, and James Baldwin. Under his leadership, DeWitt Clinton’s graduation rate has increased from u...

Proud principal Laura Tobias of State College Area High School, Pennsylvania is an amazing school leader. Laura has created a special place in the shadows of Happy Valley. Her daily positive messages, academic interventions, and learning centers are just the tip of this inspiring conversation. 

If you are looking to model your school after a dynamic school leader, look no farther or just listen to this episode. 

Pennsylvania Princi...

Dr. Jonathon Guthrie, Proud Principal of Bentonville West High School, Arkansas shares how he and his team opened Bentonville West, which just completed it's 9th year.

As part of the State POY Series - Jonathon Guthrie is the Arkansas Principal of the year - 2025. 

He led his team to set the culture, hiring the staff, ordering every desk, chair and trash can!

Bentonville West High School has seen academic growth and success earlier...

Miguel Salazar is the principal of Sundown Middle School in Sundown, TX. Previously he was a math teacher, coach, assistant principal, and high school principal. He is dedicated to fostering positive school cultures, promoting equity, and ensuring student success. His leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that a thriving educational community is built upon shared accountability, high standards, and continuous improvement. H...

State Principal of the Year Series - Michigan's Adam Lancto

Adam Lancto is the principal of Grandville High School in Grandville, MI and the 2025 Michigan Secondary Principal of the Year. 

Previously, he served as assistant principal. A visible leader who consistently attends student and community events, he championed students by creating programs such as the Student Voice Committee to help students feel a sense of belonging, and ...

Kansas' 2025 Principal of the year, Kelly Whittaker has served as the principal of Ottawa High School in Ottawa, KS, since 2018. Previously, she served as an assistant principal of Shawnee Heights High School and Goshen High School in Indiana. She taught special education at the elementary and middle school levels before transitioning to a career as an administrator. Under her leadership, Ottawa’s graduation rate has consistently i...

Jason Di Giulio, EdD, is the principal of Hazen Union School in Hardwick, VT. He is known for his transformational leadership, particularly in advancing the community schools model in rural Vermont. Under his guidance, Hazen Union has expanded access to mental health services, family engagement programs, and strategic partnerships with local organizations and higher education institutions. Di Giulio’s background as a commissioned A...

Damon C. Lewis, EdD , is the principal of Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy in Norwalk, CT. Previously, he was the assistant principal. Under his leadership, Ponus Ridge, a 6–8 middle school, reduced chronic absenteeism from 31% to 8% in one year. His school has increased the number of minority students in the gifted and talented program, and the number of female students in accelerated math. He has championed an equity-driven and “Every D...

2025 Wyoming Principal of the Year, Chase Christensen shares how he led a state initiative to provide an apprenticeship for aspiring administrators and created  work based opportunities for his seniors. 

Chase serves as the state coordinator for the Wyoming Association of Secondary School Principals, championing public education and leadership development. Recently, he initiated a statewide apprenticeship program through the associ...

Texas Principal of the Year, Dr. Winston McCowan Jr. of Chisholm Trail High School, Fort Worth, Texas shares how his  student "Ranger Voice" committee enhanced their school community. This campus wide student led committee consists of students from all athletic teams, clubs, and organizations to represent student voice. 

Contact Dr. McCowan Jr. for more information

Email - wmccowan@ems-isd.net

X/Twitter - @McCowanWinston

Instagram ...

Alabama's 2025 Principal of the Year, Dr. Matt Epps of Career Technical School in Columbiana, Alabama shares his strategies of personalizing a students' educational journey through student voice and leadership. The personal inventory assessment was intentional to gain insight to the students' perception of their skill sets and the school's role in helping them better achieve their goals. The results have been incredibly insightful ...

In this inspiring episode of the Proud Principals Podcast, we sit down with Principal Jen Cimaglia, from Hardyston Elementary, Franklin, NJ who saw a critical learning gap in her school and took bold, informed action to close it. Jen shares the story behind her decision to implement the Wilson Reading System — a structured literacy program designed to support students with language-based learning difficulties.

Listen as she walks u...

Proud Principal Josh Tovar exudes energy and pride for his students and staff of Memorial Pathway Academy in Garland, Texas. He celebrates their success every day in every way. This positive approach creates a culture of ALL stakeholders being seen and celebrated for their daily work. 

We all want to promote student and staff success. Listen to how Josh Tovar does it like no other we have heard on Proud Principals Podcast. 

You are...

Kevin Carroll is the Proud Principal of Waldwick High School in New Jersey. Kevin shares an amazing community service opportunity for his students and staff. 

The Martin Luther King Jr. Week of Service is as a powerful reminder of the impact of service and the importance of giving back to the Waldwick community. He believes that participating in the MLK Week of Service fosters growth in his students while contributing to the better...

Rich Czyz of Yardville Elementary School in New Jersey shares his proudest student recognition program. If you want to develop better people through meaningful recognition. Come up with an annual theme with specific monthly traits your school wants to encourage within their student behaviors. Need a Positive Culture Builder,  then listen to Rich's share. 

Rich Czyz is the author of the following books:

The Four O’Clock Faculty - A ...