West Virginia education officials, Chamber Foundation honor top educators at inaugural Champions of Learning Gala
September 8, 2026
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s best educators earned well-deserved recognition Tuesday night for their outstanding work in shaping the next generation.
The inaugural Champions of Learning Gala, hosted by the state Department of Education, state Board of Education, and West Virginia Chamber Foundation, was held at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center in the Capital City. The gala replaced the old Celebration of Excellence in Education, which honored West Virginia’s top teacher and school service personnel. MetroNews “Midday” co-host and WOWK evening anchor Amanda Barren emceed the event.
The expanded gala recognized the 2027 Teacher of the Year, School Service Personnel of the Year, School Principal of the Year, and School Counselor of the Year. It’s the first time that all four were recognized on the same night and in the same ceremony. An estimated 400 people were on hand for the event.
State Superintendent of Schools Michele Blatt said it was surreal to see the gala happen. She said there are many people to thank for that.
“A year ago, this was a dream,” Blatt said. “Many of us were together in the Culture Center, recognizing our teacher and service personnel of the year. But, thanks to so many partners in this room, the amazing staff we have at the Department of Education, it quickly became a reality.”
Princeton Senior High School’s Laura Presley earned the 2027 Teacher of the Year award. She’s taught at the school since 2010, teaching honors English 10, English 9, and a Holocaust literature elective courses. She has degrees from Concord University and Marshall University. She is a National Board Certified Teacher in English-Language Arts (ELA). She is also the English department chair and a mentor teacher.
She’s also helped with Mercer County Schools’ Bookapalooza literacy event, the county’s “Academic Bowl,” and is involved with the WVDE’s mentorship program.
Presley fought back tears as she accepted the award.
“To my principal (Krissy) Zickafoose, and my Princeton Senior High School colleagues and dear friends,” Presley said, “our collaboration and glow for our one town, one school, one family is at the core of this recognition.”
Other finalists for the Teacher of the Year award included Morgan Bricker, from Hancock County; Dr. Stefanie Cirilli, from Ohio County; Heather Hartman, from Hampshire County; and Nicole Mattingly, from Monongalia County.
The 2027 School Principal of the Year award went to Musselman High School leader Alicia Riggleman. A graduate of Shepherd and Marshall universities, Riggleman has worked in education for more than twenty years. She’s worked in numerous roles within Berkeley County Schools, such as teacher, school counselor, and assistant principal before her current role as principal at Musselman.
Riggleman humbly accepted the award, saying that each of the finalists were equally as deserving. She said the success of the school can be attributed to many different people, all playing a key role.
“I’m fortunate to have an outstanding community, staff members and students, that give everything, every single day,” Riggleman said. “I’m just able to be the face of that.”
Riggleman was among a five-person finalist group for top principal, which also included Kensie Fisher, from Putnam County; Kimberly Greene, from Monongalia County; Samantha Peaslee, from Preston County; and Shandon Ryan-Tweedy, from Kanawha County.
Monongalia County’s Miriam Mason was selected as the 2027 School Counselor of the Year. A counselor at Mylan Park Elementary School, Mason is also the school’s wellness coordinator. Holding many certifications and degrees in counseling, Mason also conducts a private practice to provide counseling services. She uses the American School Counselor Association framework and The Regulated Classroom: Bottom-Up, Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices for her work.
“I really love my job, and my heart is for students,” Mason said. “I definitely could not do it without my team at school. My principal Anne Lupo is here. Mon County Schools, we are just awesome.”
The rest of the counselor finalists included Hilary Gibson, from Cabell County; Jennifer Pickett, from Marshall County; Angguna Rowe, from Wyoming County; and Dabney Sheetz, from Mineral County.
Boone County Schools bus driver Lisa Cook received the 2027 School Service Personnel of the Year award. In addition to driving her own bus, Cook assists by mentoring new drivers and volunteering at school events. She also works in the community at Special Olympics events and lends a helping hand in local school organizations and community outreach programs.
Cook deflected praise to everyone within Boone County Schools. She said while she’s not been a bus driver in the school system for a long period of time, she’s grateful to have made such an impact.
“I am very honored and humbled by this,” Cook said. “I don’t deserve this more than anybody that I drive with. It takes us all, we’re a team. I really don’t know what to say; I love my job.”
Other finalists under consideration for the honor included JoAnna Gilbert, from the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind; Andrea Helms, from Summers County; Brooklyn Long, from Fayette County; and Michelle Shreve, from Braxton County.
The Chamber Foundation also recognized business partners for their contributions to the state and public education, with the Community Impact Award, the Education Impact Award, the Workforce Development Leadership Award and the Youth Opportunity and Innovation Award.
Presley offered some parting advice, not just for Tuesday’s honorees, but everyone within education in the state.
“On our famous West Virginia country roads, sometimes we encounter dark and dusty, painted on the skies,” Presley said. “But we educators, we are the light and the hope for our students. That is the light that I will help shine on our students, staff, and on West Virginia public schools.”
Story by Jack Carlson, MetroNews