Kelseyville Unified School District (KVUSD) is excited to announce that superintendent Dr. David S. McQueen is the 2023 Region 4 Administrator of the Year in the category of Superintendent. The prestigious honor from the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) is part of an annual awards program that recognizes a select group of individuals for outstanding performance and achievement, as voted on by their peers.
Dr. McQueen, who has served as KVUSD’s superintendent for the past 14 years, will be recognized for his remarkable service and contributions as an educational administrator alongside other honorees at the ACSA Region 4 Leadership Workshop in Napa this June.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Nicki Thomas, who will step into Dr. McQueen’s role when he retires this summer, and Director of Special Education Keely Antoni both nominated Dr. McQueen, citing his leadership, kindness, and commitment to serving the best interests of students.
“Dr. McQueen leads with heart,” Dr. Thomas said. “He cares deeply about our district and sees the value in developing strong positive relationships with students, staff, families, and the community.”
Dr. McQueen has been especially instrumental in steering KVUSD through a series of recent challenges-including budget constraints, COVID-19, and a teacher shortage-while making wellness a top priority along the way.
“After the pandemic, Dr. McQueen was proactive in making mental health services more easily accessible to students,” Antoni said. “He added counseling positions to both elementary schools and brought Gaggle Therapy to our district. Many students who otherwise might not have gotten help have taken advantage of those resources.”
In addition, Dr. McQueen worked with school board members to establish a wellness committee consisting of community members, parents, and employees that focuses on student health and wellbeing. The committee has organized several education events called, “Family Night Out” to share information about topics such as mental health, bullying prevention, and vaping awareness.
Although it is well known that students are Dr. McQueen’s top priority, KVUSD employees say that under his leadership, they feel valued and get the support they need to be successful day in, day out.
“Dr. McQueen has embraced the evidence-based practice of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and makes sure we have the budget to provide staff with professional development and training resources so they can continue to learn and grow,” Dr. Thomas said. “He also worked hard to amend our school calendar to include early release days once a week so educators can review data and collaborate on a regular basis.”
Paul McGuire, the principal at Riviera Elementary School, has known Dr. McQueen for nearly 50 years, since they started playing basketball against each other in middle school.
“Even back then, Dave was someone that people always counted on-a great athlete and an even better person,” McGuire said. “Years later, he encouraged me to join KVUSD and helped hire me. I’ve done my best to adopt Dave’s philosophy of being nice, leading with kindness, and treating people the way you want to be treated-because it works! Dave’s done an amazing job. It’s going to be tough to see him move on, but I wish him all the best.”
Dr. McQueen began working for KVUSD in 1998 as the vice principal of Kelseyville High School, then became principal of Kelseyville Elementary and Alternative Education. In 2009, he was named district superintendent. He completed his own K-12 education as a KVUSD student and all of his children graduated from Kelseyville High School. After a lifetime with the district, he plans to retire this summer to spend more time with his family.
“Dr. McQueen will always be remembered as a valued leader who has made a tremendous and lasting impact on the students, families, and the staff of KVUSD,” Dr. Thomas said. “I can honestly say that I have never worked for a more caring, compassionate, driven, and dedicated educator. I’m thrilled to see him win this award during his final year as superintendent-he absolutely deserves it.