Lembeck Named Best in Georgia

Superintendent Emily Lembeck has been judged the best at her job in the state.

Lembeck won the 2012 Superintendent of the Year Award from the Georgia School Superintendents Association on Friday. It was the third time she was a finalist for the honor.

Association President Samuel King announced Lembeck’s award during the GSSA/Georgia School Boards Association Winter Conference at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel in the Galleria area.

Daniel Dooley, the chief executive officer of award sponsor Classworks, presented Lembeck the award. She received a plaque and a ring and will get to present a $1,000 scholarship to graduate in the spring.

Lembeck has led the Marietta school district since 2005. The that she was one of four finalists out of 22 nominees for the award.

She is a member of the GSSA board of directors and a past chairwoman of the Metro Regional Education Service Agency Board of Control. She was elected last month to represent Georgia on the American Association of School Administrators governing board through June 2013.

During the awards luncheon Friday, King shared comments the Marietta Board of Education made in nominating Lembeck. The board gave her credit for garnering state and national recognition for school system improvements and winning awards.

The board cited an increase of more than 16 percent in the percentage of elementary school students exceeding standards on state tests and an 11 percent improvement in the high school graduation rate.

Lembeck is now a candidate for National Superintendent of the Year and will get a free trip to the National Conference on Education in Houston in February.