Colorado Education Initiative Welcomes 20 Leaders to 2026 Rural Superintendent Academy Cohort

Description: The Colorado Education Initiative has selected 20 school and district leaders for the 2026 Rural Superintendent Academy, strengthening leadership across Colorado's rural schools...

Welcome, 2026 Rural Superintendent Academy Fellows!

Twenty Colorado School and School District Leaders Selected to Join RSA

Denver, CO: The sixth cohort of the Rural Superintendent Academy (RSA) launched the week of July 20, welcoming 20 new and experienced superintendents and school and school district leaders focused on building system leadership capacity and collaborative relationships across the state.

Made possible with support from the Boettcher Foundation, RSA is a leadership development opportunity led by Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) to advance approaches that improve rural school district leadership while fostering peer-to-peer relationships among participants.

This new cohort represents rural leaders from Alamosa, Cañon City, Center, Denver, East Grand, Elbert, Estes Park, Greeley-Evans, Hoehne, Ignacio, Las Animas, Meeker, North Park, Otis, Steamboat Springs, Summit, Weld RE-3J, Wiggins, Woodland Park, and Yuma school districts.

Fellows include 12 superintendents, five central office administrators seeking to lead a rural school district in the future, and three principals growing their skills for system leadership.

RSA Fellows expand their leadership expertise by learning how to create conditions for excellence in district governance, community leadership, and district operational capacity. RSA supports participants in building adaptive and responsive relationships among students and families, communities, school boards, and staff as they collectively work toward the goal of long-term success and sustainability for their districts and communities. 

Special congratulations to RSA Fellows Tammie Mack of Hoehne School District RE-3 and Roxi Vigil of Alamosa School District, who have been selected to receive 2026 Dr. Cile Chavez Fellowships. This year, the Boettcher Foundation is awarding these two RSA participants The Dr. Cile Chavez Fellowship to inspire diverse, underrepresented education leaders to join RSA and bring their unique perspectives to the helm of Colorado districts, including through financial assistance to support costs related to their participation.

With the selection of the sixth cohort, there are now 100 RSA Fellows, with 53 currently serving as superintendents in Colorado and many more poised to fill system leadership roles.

“Six years ago, the Rural Superintendent Academy was merely a concept. Our goal is to ensure every rural district in Colorado is led by an individual equipped to drive positive change and bring their community together. Thanks to the investment of the Boettcher Foundation and the staunch support of Colorado Education Initiative, we have positively impacted more than 50 districts at the executive leadership level, and there are numerous completers ready to fill vacancies as they occur. This sixth cohort already boasts 12 sitting superintendents, and I’m excited about the knowledge they’ll share with our upcoming leaders and RSA alumni who will play a key role in delivering content moving forward.” – George Welsh, Senior Partner, CEI

2026–27 Rural Superintendent Academy Cohort 6 Fellows

Appearing from left to right:

• Laura Cotsapas, Chief Transformation Officer, Summit School District

• Jamie Davis, Director of Human Resources, Cañon City Schools

• Kristin Drury, Superintendent, Steamboat Springs School District

• Ben Dutton, Superintendent, Center Consolidated School District 26JT

• Jim Fraley, Superintendent, Yuma School District

• Monica D. Giffing, Superintendent, Otis School District R-3

• Ty Gordon, Superintendent, Wiggins School District

• David Grubbs, Superintendent, Estes Park School District

• James Hughes, Superintendent, North Park School District R-1

• Erin Kruse, Superintendent, Elbert County School District C-2

• Courtney Lincoln, Superintendent, East Grand School District

• Tammie Mack, Superintendent, Hoehne School District RE-3

• Angie McDowell, Centennial Elementary School Principal, Greeley-Evans School District 6

• Araceli Ruiz O'Clair, Director of Schools, Denver Public Schools

• Chris Selle, Superintendent, Meeker School District Re1

• Ginger Slocum, Superintendent, Woodland Park School District

• Cori Stevens, Curriculum Director, Ignacio School District 11-JT

• Roxi Vigil, Principal, Alamosa School District

• Dr. Jenny Wakeman, Assistant Superintendent, Weld County School District Re-3J

• Addie Wallace, Las Animas Junior High and Las Animas High School Principal, Las Animas School District

Learn more about the 2026 RSA Cohort here.

CEI will begin accepting applications for RSA Cohort 7 in spring 2027. 

Follow SECO News on Facebook.
Subscribe to the SECO News YouTube Channel.

Press releases Sponsor