Dr. Kristen Rickey is the Superintendent and Director of Special Education in the West Delaware County Community School District, where she has served since 2010. She earned her BS in Psychology and MA in Special Education at the University of Iowa. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership Studies at the University of Iowa in 2005. Prior to her work with West Delaware Schools, Dr. Rickey has served as a teacher or administrator in Marion, Cedar Rapids, and Tripoli Iowa School Districts. She also founded a professional development consulting firm to provide guidance to districts across the country in effective strategies for working toward more inclusive education practices. She has served in an advisory role to the field of education in various capacities, including the Iowa Virtual Clearinghouse for Work Based Learning, School Administrators of Iowa Professional Standards Committee, Northeast Iowa Regional Planning Partnership, Executive Leaders Steering Committee, and Four Oaks Family and Children Services Board. She was selected as a Fulbright Leader for Global Schools and travelled to Finland to study educational systems in 2022. She currently serves on the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.
Past AASA Iowa Superintendent of the Year Winners:
2022 Iowa Superintendent of the Year: Noreen Bush
2021 Iowa Superintendent of the Year: Russ Adams
2020 Iowa Superintendent of the Year: Joel Pedersen
About the Award:
The Superintendent of the Year program, sponsored by First Student and AASA, pays tribute to the talent and vision of the men and women who lead the nation’s public schools.
State-level winners are selected on the following criteria:
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- Leadership for Learning
- Communication
- Professionalism
- Community Involvement