A JHS administrator has been honored with a prestigious award.

Mrs. Dillard, an assistant principal at JHS, has been honored with the 2012-2013 Assistant Principal of the Year award for the Illinois Principals Association (IPA).

IPA is a state-wide organization of principals and school administrators. The IPA’s goal, according to their website, is to, “…advance learning through effective educational leadership.” The IPA picks one assistant principal in the state each year to receive the award, and Mrs. Dillard was “left… speechless” when she learned that she had won.

Mrs. Dillard was nominated by a fellow staff member in the IPA, and received a call from Jason Leahy, the director of IPA. “I was lucky in that someone valued the work I do and nominated me,” says Dillard. “What keeps me coming back for more are the kids who come back and tell me that maybe I made a little bit of a difference along the way.”

Dillard will receive an award plaque and $1,000 honorarium, which she says with laughter, “I have time to think about what I’ll spend it on.”

Besides being a member of the IPA, Mrs. Dillard is the Regional Director for the Two Rivers region of the IPA.