Members of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Board of Directors elected Aaron Huff, principal of Benjamin Bosse High School in Evansville, IN, as the organization’s new president-elect. He will succeed Kip Motta, principal of Rich Middle School in Laketown, UT. 

Five additional school leaders were elected to serve on the 19-member Board of Directors: Dr. Marcus Belin, principal of Huntley High School in Huntley, IL; Mary Pat Cumming, principal of The FAIR School for Arts in Minneapolis, MN; Julie Kasper, the former assistant principal of Century High School in Hillsboro, OR, who becomes principal this fall; Charles “Derrick” Lawson, principal of Indio High School in Indio, CA, (his alma mater); and Daniel Richards, assistant principal of Manchester Essex High School in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. 

Huff is entering his fifth year as principal of Bosse. Previously, he served as assistant principal of North High School and assistant principal and principal of North Junior High School, both located in Evansville. He has also been a counselor, an after-school site coordinator and football and basketball coach in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. As the chair of the 2020 NASSP Board of Directors Advocacy Committee, Huff led NASSP’s efforts to safely reopen schools after the pandemic, build a sustainable pipeline of diverse and talented school leaders and improve student outcomes. 

“I look forward to supporting the development of leaders across the country as president-elect,” said NASSP President-Elect Aaron Huff. “I firmly believe that every school has to have a thoughtful, visionary leader with an uncompromising belief that all students can learn at high levels. With this in mind, I strive to support my colleagues around the country as they work to serve their students, schools and communities.” 

“Aaron has been a tireless advocate, working to empower our members as they engage with the most pressing issues in education,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “He’s an incredible servant leader who has certainly impacted his community in a positive way. We can’t wait to see what he does at the helm of NASSP and look forward to partnering and collaborating on work to come.” 

Belin, Cumming, Lawson and Richards were elected to the NASSP board for three-year terms. Kasper was elected to serve the rest of Huff’s two-year term.  

A Chicago native, Belin has dedicated his career to creating meaningful learning experiences and environments where students know they are loved. The Immediate Past President of the Illinois Principals Association, Belin hosts the podcast “Unapologetic Leadership.” He is also a 2021 NASSP Digital Principal of the Year.   

As the principal of The FAIR School for Arts, Cumming has leveraged relationships with over 35 corporate, fine arts, philanthropic and post-secondary institutions, to create partnerships that provide innovative and dynamic learning opportunities for staff and students. She currently serves as Secondary President of the Minneapolis Principals Forum and represents high school principals on the Minnesota Teacher of the Year selection committee.     

Kasper's 25 years in education have included positions as a teacher and student council adviser, and she is a two-time recipient of the Oregon Adviser of the Year award. Kasper has served in a variety of leadership roles, including on the Oregon Association of Student Councils board, the Oregon School Activities Association Championship Committee and NASSP’s Student Leadership Advisory Committee. This fall, she is excited to continue serving the Hillsboro School District as principal of Century High School.  

Lawson has served as a teacher, a federal projects facilitator and a principal at the elementary, middle and high school levels. He currently directs the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Principals Academy, serves as the ACSA Region 7 Lead Coordinator and is NASSP’s State Coordinator for California. The 2012 California Principal of the Year, Lawson received the Distinguished Service to NASSP Award in 2020 and was named Advocacy Champion of the Year in 2021.  

A former teacher in the Newton Public School District in MA and the Jingshan School in Beijing, China, Richards has over 20 years of experience as an administrator; he has served as an assistant principal, a dean of students and a middle and high school principal. For the past 10 years, he has served on NASSP’s Bylaws Review Advisory Committee, the Executive Director Search Committee, the State Lobbyist Network and the LGBTQ+ Network. He is also the NASSP State Coordinator for Massachusetts and the 2019 inaugural NASSP Advocacy Champion of the Year.  

All board terms begin August 1.