DEARBORN HEIGHTS – During a recent gathering in California, Crestwood School District Superintendent Dr. Youssef Mosallam was named as the 2024 Superintendent of the Year.

Mosallam was selected out of the 21 finalists at the National Association of School Superintendents (NASS) Annual Conference for his “transformative leadership, innovative approach to education, and unwavering commitment to fostering collaboration across the Crestwood community.”

The award is one of the highest honors in the field of educational leadership and, “with the support of the board of education, recognizes Dr. Mosallam’s dedication to ensuring that Crestwood School District serves as a model of excellence,” said a press release from the district. “His forward thinking strategies have brought groundbreaking improvements to the district, placing students, teachers, and families at the heart of every decision.”

During his acceptance of the award, Mosallam said he couldn’t do any of his work alone.

“This recognition is not something I alone could have accomplished,” he said. “Crestwood’s transformation is rooted in the foundation laid by our schools, the strength of our teachers, and the support of our families. Every day, our team works tirelessly to ensure that every single student matters. Our students are resilient, and their grit drives our success. While we may be a small district compared to others represented here tonight, our impact is anything but small. This award is a testament to our community’s hard work, and belief in the future.”

Mosallam told The Arab American News that even just being a finalist was an honor and a humbling experience. 

“As a superintendent of schools, we do this job as a life mission in order to create an equitable and safe learning environment for our community and students as our main focus,” he said. “To achieve an award as such is never on our mind or one of our goals. This is why it is such a humbling experience to even be considered. This award is not for me, it is for our community. Our community deserves the recognition that we are doing everything in our power to achieve success for our community. This includes all of our Board of Education, staff, volunteers, partnerships, and our parents. It illustrates that when a community has a single mission to work with one another, and not in isolation, we can achieve and reach our goals. Our district is committed to growth and continued success as we never want to become complacent.”

Mosallam was nominated for the award, but it was not disclosed by NASS who nominated him. He then had to answer a series of questions to be considered for the award including assessment data, district initiatives with supporting documents that would determine who would be considered for an in-depth interview with NASS. NASS then conducted research on the candidates to determine the finalists which spanned across the United States.

“I am honored to be the Superintendent of Schools for the Crestwood School District,” Mosallam said. “I thank our Board of Education for their continued commitment to our students and community for having the trust they have instilled in me and our team to do what is right for our students no matter the challenges that may arise. This is a community award and an award for our entire district. No leader has success without a team who has the same focused goals for outcome.”

As the 2024 Superintendent of the Year, Mosallam will now serve as an ambassador for NASS in order to help inspire other educational leaders nationwide to foster community-driven approaches to education.