CARIBOU, Maine — The Maine School Superintendents Association has named RSU 39 and MSAD 20 Superintendent Tim Doak, who has 27 years of experience in education, Superintendent of the Year.
Doak said he’s honored by the award and that he feels “very good for MSAD 20 and RSU 39, because [the award] really recognizes some of the good things we’re doing in Aroostook County.”
“I’m pretty fortunate to work for two great school boards,” Doak said. “My philosophy is that good leadership breeds good leadership, and when the staff, teachers, and administrators are good leaders, it makes my job a lot easier.”
The Maine School Superintendents Association informed Doak of the honor on Sept. 20 but he was formally presented the award at an Oct. 25 MSSA meeting in Augusta.
The letter written by MSSA Acting Executive Director Steven Bailey that informed Doak of the award included an invitation to the American Association of School Administrators conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in February. Doak is now eligible for the National Superintendent of the Year award, which will be presented at that event.
Bailey wrote that Doak’s award is well deserved, adding that his “commitment to children and the school community has been noticed and obviously appreciated.”
RSU 39 Assistant Superintendent Jane McCall shared the news publicly on Friday, Oct. 27, inviting members of the public to attend a meet and greet gathering for Doak at the Caribou high school library from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 30.
“This award is well deserved and is evidence that Tim truly depicts the characteristics of a top-notch superintendent,” McCall wrote in a statement to local press. “He keeps students’ needs in the forefront when making decisions for our district, continues to recognize the importance of staff and values their opinions, while continuously appreciating and respecting their dedication to the profession.”
Doak was nominated by Paula Perkins, who has been on the MSAD 20 school board for nine years. She said his dedication and compassion to students and staff motivated her to nominate him, specifically citing how he handled the aftermath of a Fort Fairfield student drowning earlier this year.
“He put a team together rather quickly, and came in on the weekend to make sure there was a plan in place for the kids,” Perkins said, adding that the incident occurred three days before eighth grade graduation. “He showed great compassion to the staff as well as the students.”
Perkins said that while Doak encourages collaboration between MSAD 20 and RSU 39, is fiscally responsible, and follows all regulations, it was his his quick and thoughtful response to the tragedy ultimately that motivated her to nominate him.
“He was there all day for any staff and students that needed him,” Perkins said. “You don’t see or hear a lot about that. You don’t really see administrators doing that.”
According to her, MSAD 20 likely wouldn’t have accepted RSU 39’s offer to share services if they had another superintendent. However, since Doak was born and raised in Fort Fairfield and was a graduate of their high school, they accepted the offer.
“People here were familiar with him,” Perkins said, “and [the decision to share services] has opened the door for a lot of collaboration between the two districts.”
RSU 39 School Board Chair Tanya Sleeper said she was thrilled to learn about the award, but “not necessarily surprised” that his “widespread expertise and knowledge” landed him the honor.
“He’s always been a leader,” Sleeper said, “and is always in the forefront of initiatives and ideas. He’s always innovated, and thinking of ways to add value. He’s looking ahead in trying to position RSU 39 for the future. He’s big on collaborating with other school districts to collectively bring knowledge and skills together for the benefit of students throughout Aroostook County.”
Specifically, Sleeper noted his initiative in leading the new pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school project as well as his involvement in education on a state and national level.
“His high level of involvement and commitment really benefit the district and RSU 39,” Sleeper said.
Doak remained humble in his response to the accolades.
“You go through your career, and never imagine that you could be number one,” Doak said. “You just don’t think of those things. These awards are a great time to reflect on everything I’ve been involved in.”
The superintendent recognized that his award is a part of the great work being done in Caribou, and acknowledged that Fire Chief Scott Susi and Police Chief Michael Gahagan also have collected statewide awards this year.
“This is great time for the Caribou community,” Doak said. “Aroostook needs these accolades because we want people to stay here. Maine is a large and somewhat diverse state, and [these awards] say a lot about the leadership we have right here in Aroostook County.”
