Proud Principals Podcast with Tony Cattani

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 ...

Proud Principal Derek Cantrell of Alleghany HS in Virginia, led the consolidation of two history-rich high schools into a single institution. This journey required building a shared identity, strengthening relationships, and creating excitement for a unified vision of success. Through this process, he learned that a positive school culture doesn’t just happen—it’s built intentionally with clear strategies, consistent communication,...

Andy Farley, Proud Principal of Brookfield East HS, Wisconsin and NASSP 2024 Principal of the Year shares how his school created and supports their core values of Academic and Human Excellence. Brookfield East is the Number 1 ranked public school in Wisconsin for the past 4 years and one of eight Blue Ribbon schools in the state. Andy's active approach and well-developed process is refreshing and inspiring to all educational leader...

This is the second episode of Jay Billy's interview. Jay shares another proud effort of altering his elementary school's schedule to build in teacher prep periods, student recess, and better instructional time segments to maximize learning. If you want to make your school better, Jay will discuss his informed decisions, calculated risks, and not waiting for someone else to make it happen. Jay's leadership is genuine and refreshing....

Listen to Scott Wisniewski of Pompton Lakes HS in Pompton Lakes, NJ share the benefits of a Mental Health First Aid program in his school community. Scott is passionate about providing opportunities for his staff and students to gain knowledge and a skill set to help one another. He shares his blueprint for training staff and students. Don't miss out on this opportunity to get one step closer to bringing a Mental Health First Aid p...

Neel Desai, proud principal of Grandview Elementary School, Piscataway, NJ shares how his summer home visits to his rising Kindergartners has impacted his school community for the better. Want to improve your relationship with your community, ease the transition for your students, and have your first interaction with your students and families be a positive one, listen and learn. 

For more info - contact Neel Desai at Grandview Ele...