Henry County Public Schools superintendent named Virginia Superintendent of the Year

Dr. Jared Cotton is the first from school district to receive the honor

HENRY COUNTY, Va. – For Dr. Jared Cotton, the Superintendent of the Year honor is an opportunity to showcase Henry County Public Schools.

"We are inspiring hope in our community, where some of our students who are struggling financially are getting opportunities that you don't see in small, rural school divisions all the time," Cotton said.

"But we're making it happen because we're working collaboratively with our community."

Cotton is the first Henry County Public Schools superintendent to be named superintendent of the year, but this was his second time being one of the eight regional finalists in the running for the honor.

When he and his wife, Joanna, attended the Virginia Association of School Superintendents luncheon Tuesday, he wasn't expecting to be the one out of the eight giving an acceptance speech.

"When they were all introduced up there and all their accolades and accomplishments were being shared, I thought, 'There's no way they're going to call my name,'" Cotton said.

He is honored to know that his colleagues are inspired by his work and he said he is equally inspired by their work.

"I hope to inspire others to push forward to push forward for students because they deserve it," Cotton said.

Cotton will be considered for the National Superintendent of the Year award, which will be presented in Los Angeles in February.