LEADERSHIP

Gracie Branch, associate executive director of the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration, was recognized by the University Council for Educational Administration with the 2016 Excellence in Educational Leadership Award.

Branch was nominated by the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education at the University of Oklahoma, which cited her record of supporting school administrator preparation efforts. The award was presented by Gregg Garn, dean of the College of Education, during the summer conference for the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration, held in Norman.

For the past five years, Branch has been executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals and the Oklahoma Middle Level Education Association at CCOSA. She works with educators statewide to foster a sense of community, promote leadership development and mentor public school administrators. She sustains and grows leadership opportunities by providing professional development experiences for administrators that encompass state educational initiatives and reforms.

Before joining Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration, Branch was a principal for six years at Monroe Elementary in Norman, an assistant principal in Putnam City and served as coordinator for National Board Certification in Oklahoma. In 2011, she earned a Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma in educational administration, curriculum and supervision and was named a Clark Scholar.