Florida TaxWatch Announces 2024-25 Principal Leadership Awards Winners

Principals from Bay, Brevard, Broward, Clay, Duval, Highlands, Hilsborough, Leon, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, and Putnam Counties Recognized

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch proudly announced the 2024-25 Principal Leadership Awards (PLA) winners, recognizing 15 of Florida’s most successful principals from high-risk K-12 public schools in Bay, Brevard, Broward, Clay, Duval, Highlands, Hillsborough, Leon, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, and Putnam counties. The PLA program, established in 2013, recognizes educational leaders who are creating meaningful changes in their students’ lives, while also promoting their uniquely effective practices among their peers.

This year, there are five deserving winners each from elementary, middle, and high schools across the state. In addition, each principal will nominate a deserving student for an Academic A+ Challenge Match Scholarship sponsored by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation.

Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro said, “Florida TaxWatch established this one-of-a-kind and the only evidence-based Principal Leadership Awards program, which uses comprehensive data to determine the most effective principals in our state, to reward these outstanding principals for the transformational impact they are having both in their schools and in their communities. Congratulations to all of the winners!”

Florida TaxWatch Executive Vice President and General Counsel Jeff Kottkamp said, “Principals are the backbone of Florida’s schools – as leaders in their schools, they support and motivate hard-working teachers and ensure students of all ages are provided ample opportunities to succeed. Thank you, to the 15 amazing principals, for all you to do inspire and support the children in your schools.”
 

The 2024-25 Principal Leadership Award (PLA) winners are as follows:

Elementary School

• Carmen Conner, Pineview Elementary School (Leon County)
• Dawn Wolfe, Lakeside Elementary School (Clay County)
• Dr. Dawna M. O’Brien, Mila Elementary School (Brevard County)
• Anthony Montoto, Thonotosassa Elementary School (Hillsborough County)
• Robert Gibson, Palmview Elementary (Broward County)

Middle School

• Dr. Benny Bolden, Jr., former principal, R. Frank Nims Middle School (Leon County)
• Joshua Bing, Conway Middle School (Orange County)
• Leon Mungin, Jr., Highlands Middle School (Duval County)
• Dr. Henrissa Berry, Young Middle Magnet School (Hillsborough County)
• Walter C. Hall, Leisure City K-8 Center (Miami-Dade County)

High School

• Jeremy Knapp, Central High School (Bay County)
• Tracy Taylor, Mellon Learning Center (Putnam County)
• George Morse, Acceleration West (Orange County)
• Kevin Tunning, Lake Placid High School (Highlands County)
• Reginald Jeudy, South Area Secondary Intensive Transition (Palm Beach County)

Florida Prepaid College Foundation Director Cindy O’Connell said, “The Florida Prepaid College Foundation is a proud, longstanding partner of the Principal Leadership Awards Program, which creates statewide opportunities and policies that benefit Florida’s students. This program recognizes and rewards 15 effective principals across the state and provides each principal with an opportunity to award a deserving student with an Academic A+ Challenge Match Scholarship. We look forward to the future development of this program and continued partnership with Florida TaxWatch.”

The PLA program would not be possible without the support of Florida TaxWatch’s generous sponsors, including Charter Communications, Dominic and Debbie Calabro, FBMC, First Horizon Bank, Florida Lottery, Florida Prepaid College Foundation, Florida Power and Light, JM Rubin Foundation, Keswick Partners/Step up for Students, Kyra Solutions, MAXIMUS, Steve and Linda Evans, Suffolk Construction, Team Horner, Tampa Electric Company, and Walmart.

More information about the PLA program and the 2024-25 winners may be found here.

About Florida TaxWatch
As an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog and taxpayer research institute, and the trusted “eyes and ears” of Florida taxpayers for more than 45 years, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) works to improve the productivity and accountability of Florida government. Its research recommends productivity enhancements and explains the statewide impact of fiscal and economic policies and practices on taxpayers and businesses. FTW is supported by its membership via voluntary, tax-deductible donations and private grants. Donations provide a solid, lasting foundation that has enabled FTW to bring about a more effective, responsive government that is more accountable to, and productive for, the taxpayers it has served since 1979. For more information, please visit www.floridataxwatch.org.