Henderson receives outstanding service award
Staff writer
Gerald Henderson knew something was up when three of his children appeared during the United School Administrators (USA) annual convention and banquet Thursday night in Wichita.
There, Henderson received USA's highest honor, the Outstanding Service Award. The award is given for outstanding, continuous, professional service devoted to the association and school leadership in Kansas.
"I knew nothing about it until my daughter tapped me on the shoulder while I was standing in the buffet line," Henderson said with a smile.
Henderson is the superintendent of schools in Marion-Florence USD 408, a position he has held for five years.
"Anytime your peers say you've made some kind of long term contribution to education, well, that's significant," Henderson said. "It's quite an honor."
Henderson said he was pleased his wife, Cathy, and three of his four children were able to be present at the award ceremony.
"That made it really special," he said.
The award was presented to Henderson by Marion Middle School Principal/Athletic director Tod Gordon, who is currently serving as president of the Kansas Association of Middle School Administrators (KAMSA).
"It's pretty exciting when you get to present the top award in the state to your boss," Gordon said. "It's quite an honor for your superintendent to be number one."
Before presenting the award, Gordon noted this year's honoree was the "administrator who knows the words to any song that you might mention," who "seems to know everyone by name," and is "particularly partial to those individuals who play golf."
USA or United School Administrators is a statewide "umbrella" organization composed of nine school administrator associations.
Nominees for the award are selected by a committee representing each of USA's nine associations, Gordon said.
Henderson's first teaching job was in the English department at Hugoton High School, then taught at Leavenworth High School prior to becoming Eudora High School principal in 1974. He also served as high school principal in Valley Center and El Dorado.
Henderson has also served as president of the Kansas Association of Secondary Principals and United School administrators of Kansas. He was executive director for United School Administrators of Kansas from 1985-1998.
His honors include being named communicator of the year by the Kansas School Public Relations Association in 1993, and co-founding and directing the USA Kansas Leadership in Education Administration Development (KanLEAD) project in 1987. He currently serves on the USA School Finance Task Force and several other statewide committees.
He served as an officer in the Navy in the Pacific from 1961-66.
Henderson earned bachelor's degrees from College of Emporia and the University of Kansas, and the master's degree from Emporia State University.
He is an elder at Marion Presbyterian Church. He and his wife, Cathy, have four children and two grandchildren.
