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Special to the Times

LAFAYETTE – Janna Cole, secretary and bookkeeper at Huguley Elementary School, has been selected as the Alabama State School Board’s “Secretary of the Year” in District 2, according to a CCSD press release. She was nominated for the honor among other nominees from the counties of Cleburne, Clay, Randolph, Tallapoosa, Chambers, Lee, Russell, Barbour, Coffee, Dale, Henry, Geneva and Houston.

“Without Mrs. Cole, our jobs would not run as smoothly as they do,” said Huguley Elementary Principal Philip Jenkins. “She is a life jacket when many of us are drowning in meeting daily deadlines while serving our students’ needs. Janna is the heartbeat of the school that allows all of us to function at our very best. She inspires us daily with her smile, her grace, her positivity and her listening ear.”

The award was presented to Cole during a recent meeting of the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS). In her introduction for the honor, Cole was described as someone “whose influence is felt by each child and faculty member. From hand-painted murals for the school to filling a closet with spare clothing to a word of encouragement for an overwhelmed teacher, Janna’s love for her position is apparent on her face and in her work.”

Since 1969, the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools has focused on children while providing high-quality professional development and other needs for school and school system administrators. As Alabama’s premier school leader organization, CLAS represents over 4,000 members, working each day to help improve K-12 public education by providing exemplary services for administrators.