The Maine School Boards Association (MSBA) has announced two recipients of its Distinguished Service Award, recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to the education of Maine students. Award winners are community members who, through their work with public schools, expand the opportunities of students throughout the state of Maine.
This year’s honorees are Jennifer Garrett of the St. George Municipal School Unit and Heather Marden of the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children.
Jennifer Garrett
Jennifer Garrett has had a remarkable career in education, including leading St. George School’s original home economics program. After retiring, she became chair of the St. George Municipal School Unit Board of Directors, a role she has held for more than a decade. In that time she has championed the vision and creation of the district’s new CTE Makerspace, a building dedicated to creativity, problem solving, and hands-on learning for St. George students.
Jennifer has also taken on many less visible jobs that are no less important: buying winter gear for students in need, sewing curtains for the school’s early childhood classrooms, and preparing meals for the community. She was nominated by the St. George Municipal School Unit in recognition of her leadership and commitment to students.
Heather Marden
As Executive Director of the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (MAEYC), Heather Marden brings years of experience, advocacy work, and relationships with early childhood providers across the state. That expertise proved vital for RSU 14 as it set out to build a mixed-delivery Pre-K model, in which the school unit partners with local private childcare providers to expand Pre-K access.
Heather helped the district work through logistical challenges, develop mutually beneficial agreements, and design a program that reflects best practices and current thinking in Maine early childhood policy. The result is a Pre-K model that is rigorous, developmentally sound, and responsive to the needs of the community.
Congratulations to both awardees!