CVEDC’s Innovative Leadership Award
in honor of Ned Kirsch
Who’s your Vermont innovative leader?
We are looking for educational leaders that are a step ahead of most of us, those who innovate to improve learning for students or educators. Rather than the implementation of strategies used throughout the region, they are seeing that the next step to improving learning for students or educators needs a shift in thinking. Do you have an example you can share for this nominee? Please answer these questions as part of the nomination process for the 2025-26 CVEDC Innovative Leadership Award.
Award Timeline and Details
$3,000 Award
Nominations Open: November 2025
Nominations Close: Nominees are reviewed & referenced in March 2026
Committee reviews nominees and makes a selection in April 2026
Recipient Announced and award given in May 2026
Examples of Innovative Leadership Qualities
Breaking down barriers and shifting mindsets to move innovation forward
Engages beyond Vermont and beyond today
Inspires change through courageous vision, innovative actions, and a belief in what’s possible both within their system and others
Scans environments for new opportunities
Challenges the status quo by design thinking
Articulates a vision for World Class Education with both global and local perspectives and actions
Meet Lisa Maggio – Visual Arts Teacher, Middlebury Union Middle School (Addison Central School District)
and
Amie Conger – Instructional Coach, Albert D. Lawton School (Essex Westford School District)
Innovative Educational Leader Co-Recipients 2026
Amie Conger (right) with Jen Wood, Director of Curriculum and Instruction EWSD (left)
Congratulations to Amie on being recognized with the CVEDC Innovative Leadership Award in honor of Ned Kirsch! Amie serves as a magnificent driving force for student-centered education at Albert D. Lawton School by continuously elevating student voice, agency, and regional equity. She is the mastermind behind CREW (Community, Relationships, Engagement, and Well-Being), an incredible student-led service learning model. Under her guidance, students have taken full ownership of their community by establishing local food pantries, securing environmental grants to plant trees, and volunteering with senior citizens. The profound impact of this program culminated in her students confidently presenting their achievements at the Vermont Association for Middle Level Education conference.
Amie has also been a passionate champion for school-wide inclusion through her leadership of the ADL Unified Council. Her mentorship helped foster an environment of deep empathy, resulting in her school becoming the very first middle school in Vermont to earn the prestigious designation of a Unified Champion School by Special Olympics Vermont and Special Olympics North America. As a lifelong learner, Amie continuously refines her coaching methodologies by engaging with global experts like Jim Knight and Katie Novak, enrolling in the CVEDC Curriculum Leaders Academy, and collaborating with the Vermont Higher Education Collaborative. Her calm, reflective leadership and brave willingness to take thoughtful risks ensure that connection, purpose, and joy remain at the absolute center of student learning.
Lisa Maggio (right) with Courtney Krahn, Director of Curriculum and Instruction ACSD (left)
Congratulations to Lisa Maggio on being recognized with the CVEDC Innovative Leadership Award in honor of Ned Kirsch! Lisa’s visionary approach to arts education has profoundly transformed her school community into a vibrant, living canvas. By collaborating directly with students and custodial staff, she successfully reimagined the entirety of Middlebury Union Middle School as a perpetual rotating art gallery, complete with a permanent collection and formal artist statements. Through this initiative, she elevated curation and exhibition into essential, hands-on components of the student curriculum.
Lisa's innovative spirit was especially evident during the challenges of the pandemic, when she designed a school art show specifically to welcome families back into the educational environment—a moving initiative that she has proudly kept alive as an annual post-COVID tradition. Furthermore, her dedication to interdisciplinary learning has broken down traditional classroom walls. She has pioneered highly creative units of study alongside design and performing arts colleagues, challenging students to construct musical instruments from unconventional materials and design fashion pieces integrated with live electric circuits. Beyond her school walls, Lisa actively expands her professional learning by partnering with regional art educators, the Town Hall Theater, and Middlebury College to deliver community-wide murals and installations. Her unwavering grace, positive energy, and stalwart commitment to public service make her a truly legendary educator who perfectly exemplifies forward-thinking leadership.
Meet Autumn Bangoura
Equity Instructional Leader, Burlington School District
Innovative Educational Leader 2024
Autumn is the most recent recipient of the Ned Kirsch Innovative Leadership Award. Autumn stood out for her design and implementation of Burlington’s Summer Racial Justice Academy, which is being used as a model for other Vermont school districts. She promotes student leadership, which has been accelerated in Burlington thanks to Autumn’s efforts. She and her students have presented at conferences and shared their work with other district leaders. The equity webinar series is truly impressive and comprehensive, showing the level of student leadership shown by these talented Burlington students.
CVEDC President Gwen Carmolli congratulating Autumn Bangoura (recipient of the award), Jamilah Vogel (the nominator) and Tom Flanagan, Burlington Schools Superintendent. Tammy Boone, CVEDC Treasurer is in background. Click the photo for more information.
Meet Gabe Hamilton
Director of Learning, Addison NW School District
Innovative Educational Leader 2022
Gabe was honored with the Ned Kirsch Innovative Leadership Award. Gabe is known in the region for his commitment to proficiency-based learning and grading, personalized education and student-led experiences. MTSS (Multi-tiered Systems of Support) for Gabe, means keeping equity at the forefront of all his decisions and looking at processes at various levels through that equity lens. His goal and commitment is for all learners to have access to varied academic opportunities, enhanced targeted instruction and incorporate those extended year learning opportunities that look at the whole experience a student has - Governor’s Institute, boys/girls state, work-based learning, etc.
Click the photo to watch Gabe talk about how this award inspired his work as an innovative leader in education.
Meet Peter Wyndorf
Innovative Educational Leader 2020
Peter was the first recent recipient of the Ned Kirsch Innovation Award. Pete’s commitment to student voice, inclusion and diversity, technology integration and building strong networks stood out for the committee. Pete helped to start the Milton Inclusion and Diversity Initiative (promotes dialogue and change regarding race). In addition, he started the Students for Social Justice at Milton High School, the first online news show produced 100% by students, and the Rock Project - blending music and food donations to the Milton food shelf.
Honoring the Work of Vermont Educator and Superintendent Ned Kirsch
About the Award
Ned Kirsch was a valued member of the CVEDC Advisory Board and guided CVEDC in bringing innovative leaders like George Couros, Devin Vodicka, Bea McGarvey, Pam Moran and Ira Socol to Vermont. His national presence among innovative networks made other innovators aware of Vermont’s work and eager to be part of it.
In honor of Ned, CVEDC has created the Innovative Leadership Award. We ask Vermont educators to use the Nomination Form to nominate a Vermont Educational Leader who exemplifies the qualities that were part of Ned’s inspirational and forward-looking leadership.
Ned pictured with Devin Vodicka at a CVEDC Dine & Discuss event.
“We want our learning for students to be authentic...we’re all the same but different. We can learn from each other.”
— Ned Kirsch