The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) announced that Joanna E. Smith-Stephens, Athletic Director at Potomac High School, has been recognized as a Certified Master Athletic Administrator. 

“It is very important for our teachers to have opportunities to grow and stay current on new curriculum resources and new teaching techniques,” said Dr. William R. Hite, Jr., Superintendent of Schools. “I congratulate Ms. Smith-Stephens and commend her for this exciting achievement.”  

To earn this distinction, Ms. Smith-Stephens has demonstrated exemplary knowledge, contributions, and on-going professional development in the field of interscholastic athletic administration. The voluntary certification process included a thorough evaluation of the candidate’s educational background, experience, NIAAA leadership courses and professional contributions. It is culminated with a practical written project.

Ms. Smith-Stephens is in a very elite group of interscholastic athletic administrators nationwide to attain this level of professionalism. 

The NIAAA is a national professional organization consisting of all 50 state athletic administrator associations and more than 8,000 individual members. It is dedicated to promoting the professional growth of high school athletic administrators while preserving the educational nature of interscholastic athletics and the place these programs have in the secondary school curriculum.

 

-30- 

About PGCPS

Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is the 18th largest school district in the nation, with 198 schools, over 127,000 students, and nearly 18,000 employees. With an annual budget of $1.6 billion, the district serves a diverse student population of students living in urban, suburban, and rural communities. PGCPS is nationally recognized for its innovative programs and initiatives, including expansion of Advanced Placement courses, partnership programs with business and higher education, and the FIRST teacher incentive program.