Meet New Board Members

The NASSP Board of Directors recently elected five school leaders to serve on the 19-member board: Anita Berger, principal of Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Washington, D.C.; Adam Clemons, EdD, principal of Piedmont High School in Piedmont, AL; Benjamin Feeney, EdD, principal of Lampeter-​Strasburg High School in Lancaster, PA; Suzan Harris, PhD, principal of Henderson Middle School in Jackson, GA; and Beth Houf, principal of Capital City High School in Jefferson City, MO.

“From advancing critical education policies to sharing best practices with their colleagues, these five school leaders have transformed the trajectory of thousands of students and educators,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “We are so thrilled to welcome them to the Board and look forward to working together to elevate the voices of school and student leaders.”

Born and raised in Washington D.C., Berger became Benjamin Banneker Academic High School’s principal in 2005. Under her leadership, the school introduced the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program and achieved a 100% graduation and college acceptance rate. Berger’s commitment to quality education has earned her prestigious awards and national recognition, including the 2009 NASSP D.C. Principal of the Year award, the 2013 Rubenstein Award for Highly Effective School Leaders, and the 2017 D.C. Public Schools Principal of the Year award.

A third-generation educator, Clemons has been the principal of Piedmont High School since 2013, leading it to consistently achieve top rankings in the state. His accomplishments include being named the 2020 NASSP Alabama Principal of the Year, a 2021 NASSP National Principal of the Year finalist, and a 2023 inductee into Jacksonville State University’s Education Alumni Hall of Fame. He has served as vice president and president-​elect of the Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals and on various boards and committees.

Serving Lampeter-Strasburg High School as principal for nine years, Feeney began as a social studies teacher before transitioning into administration. He has served the Pennsylvania Principals Association as a regional representative and conference co-chair and represented principals on the Pennsylvania School Safety and Security Committee. As an ambassador for the NASSP Principal Pipeline Campaign, he brings attention to the national principal shortage and its solutions. He is also a co-facilitator of NASSP’s Aspiring School Leaders Network.

With 17 years in education, including nine as an administrator, Harris is the principal of Henderson Middle School. Honored as the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals (GASSP) 2023 Middle School Principal of the Year, she was also a 2012 Teacher of the Year at Hubbard Middle School. Harris led two schools in 2020 and 2023 to win the Student Support Team Association for Georgia Educators (SSTAGE) Promising Practices Awards. She also serves on the GASSP Executive Board.

Houf is the principal of Capital City High School and co-author of the book Lead Like a PIRATE: Make School Amazing for Your Students and Staff. As a facilitator for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Leadership Academy, she shapes state educational leaders and is an active member of her local, state, and national principal associations. Houf also serves as an adjunct professor at Westminster College while pursuing her doctorate at the University of Missouri. Houf’s accolades include being named a Missouri Exemplary New Principal in 2011, the Missouri National Distinguished Principal for 2016, and the 2022 NASSP National Principal of the Year. She serves as a principal advisor for Future Ready Schools and co-​facilitator of NASSP’s Women in School Leadership Network.