University News

Illinois educational administrators honored at the Illinois Principals Association-Blackhawk Region's Principal of the Year Award competition Feb. 23 in Moline (IL). Pictured, back row, L to R: Lyle Goldensoph (WIU alumnus), named 2014 IPA High School Principal of the Year (Blackhawk Region); Robert Beem (WIU alumnus) ), named the 2014 IPA Middle School Principal of the Year (Blackhawk Region); Herman Graves (Hanna Elementary School in Orion, IL); Jeff Utsinger (WIU education specialist degree candidate), named the 2014 Assistant Principal of the Year; and Tom Carpenter (St. Ambrose University). Front row, L to R: Laurie Brasche (WIU alumna), named the 2014 Elementary Principal of the Year; and Ruth Ann Tobey-Brown (WIU alumna), who received the IPA-Blackhawk Region "Building Bridges" award.
[Download Print-Quality Image]

WIU Alumni, Student Awarded by IL Principals Assn.-Blackhawk Region

March 12, 2015

Share |
Printer friendly version

MACOMB, IL — Last month, five education professionals with a Western Illinois University affiliation were honored in the Illinois Principals Association-Blackhawk Region's Principal of the Year Award competition. The individuals were honored at the IPA's Blackhawk Region award ceremony, held Feb. 23 in Moline (IL).

As indicated in a Feb. 17 WIU news release, Robert Beem (Woodrow Wilson Middle School, Moline, IL) was named the 2014 IPA Middle School Principal of the Year (Blackhawk Region), and Lyle Goldensoph (Moline High School—Coolidge Campus, Moline) was named 2014 IPA High School Principal of the Year (Blackhawk Region). Both earned their master's degrees from Western.

Other Western alumni and a WIU student honored at an IPA-Blackhawk Region awards ceremony last month include:

  • Laurie Brasche (Colona Grade School, Colona, IL) received the award for Elementary Principal of the Year. Brasche earned a bachelor's degree in education from WIU in 1989, a master's degree in counseling and guidance from WIU in 2001 and a master's degree in educational administration from WIU in 2011. She has been an administrator for four years;
  • Jeff Utsinger (Geneseo High School, Geneseo, IL) received the award for Assistant Principal of the Year. Utsinger has been an administrator for two years and is expected to graduate from WIU in 2016 with an education specialist degree; and
  • Ruth Ann Tobey-Brown (Rock Island Center for Math and Science, Rock Island, IL) received the "Building Bridges" award. Tobey-Brown earned her educational specialist degree from WIU in 2003 and her doctorate degree in educational leadership from Western in 2009; she has served as an administrator for 22 years.

Based on their individual selections as award winners for the IPA's Blackhawk Region, each candidate will be considered in the 2015 state-level Principal of Year awards, which will be presented at the IPA conference in October.

For more information about the advanced degrees available in the WIU Department of Educational Studies, visit www.wiu.edu/coehs/es/.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing