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This year’s Education Leadership Award recipient is Copper Country Intermediate School District Administrative Assistant Peggy Myllyoja.
Myllyoja was honored at Wednesday’s 20th Annual Education Awards Dinner at the Magnuson Franklin Square Inn in Houghton, hosted by the Copper Country Association of School Boards.
Over 120 students, parents, school personnel and board members were in attendance.
Myllyoja has served Copper Country schools for 41 years which includes work for the Vocation Ed Department and the Special Ed Department.
Awards were also given out for Student Leadership, Outstanding Education Employee, and School Service.
2019 AWARD RECIPIENTS
Margaret (Peggy) Myllyoja was awarded the Education Leadership Award.
Student Leadership Awards
- Lee Ann Mantta ………………………Adams Township School District
- Martina Jahfetson ……………………………………. Baraga Area Schools
- Tajah-Rayne Davise………………Public Schools of Calumet, Laurium and Keweenaw
- Jenna Pietila ……………………………………Chassell Township Schools
- William Kotajarvi……….Copper Country Intermediate School District
- Meg Keranen…………Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Area K-12 School District
- Anton Spagnotti …………………………………. Hancock Public Schools
- Clayton Bulleit ……… Houghton-Portage Township School District
- Patrick Myers …………………… Lake Linden-Hubbell School District
- Ethan Hansen ………………………………………….. L’Anse Area Schools
- Ava Hammerstrom …………………. Stanton Township Public Schools
Outstanding Education Employee Awards
- Morgan Raether ……………………… Adams Township School District
- Lori Wisniewski ……………………………………… Baraga Area Schools
- Dave Cima……………………………..Public Schools of Calumet, Laurium and Keweenaw
- Jomarie Wakeham ……………………………Chassell Township Schools
- Heather Mroz………..Copper Country Intermediate School District
- Andrea RaasioDollar Bay-Tamarack City Area K-12 School District
- Gladys Dupuis ……………………………………. Hancock Public Schools
- Ann Campbell ………. Houghton-Portage Township School District
- Cathy Witz ………………………. Lake Linden-Hubbell School District
- Laura Augustine ………………………………………. L’Anse Area Schools
- Jessica Hendrickson ……………….. Stanton Township Public
Schools School Service Awards
- John Schutz ……………………………. Adams Township School District
- Keith Willis ……………………………………………. Baraga Area Schools
- Robert Erkkila………………………Public Schools of Calumet, Laurium and Keweenaw
- Christopher Holmes …………………………Chassell Township Schools
- Janel Summers ………………Copper Country Intermediate School District
- Gabe Olson………… Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Area K-12 School District
- Jeff Kangas ………………………………………… Hancock Public Schools
- Nancy Verive ……….. Houghton-Portage Township School District
- Robert Miller ……………………. Lake Linden-Hubbell School District
- Martin Meleen …………………………………………. L’Anse Area Schools
- Kathy Abbott …………………………. Stanton Township Public Schools
Peggy Myllyoja was presented the award with the following introduction:
The Copper Country Association of School Boards’ Leadership Award is given to someone who has demonstrated leadership, commitment and effort in support of public K-12 education in the Copper Country.
Peg Myllyoja worked for the Copper Country ISD for an amazing 41 years. She began her work in the Vocational Ed Department for 8 years, then moved to the Special Ed Department for 19 years and for the last 14 years worked as the Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent.
It has been an impressive career. Though Peg was employed by the CCISD, her impact on all the Copper Country schools over the last 41 years is the reason she is receiving this award tonight.
Forty years ago, when vocational education was just starting, Peg helped organize a Career Day for local high school students at MTU. She also assisted all local schools with state reporting for CTE classes.
When Peg moved into the Special Ed Department, she was ahead of her time in designing fillable electronic special education forms for IEPs. These forms were adopted by our local school districts and used for over a decade before the state developed their own means of electronic submission. Peg recorded IEPs for ALL our local schools for the Michigan Department of Education, creating customized reports for local schools that they requested and MDE could not provide at the time.
When Peg became the Administrative Assistant to the CCISD superintendent, she took on new challenges that supported the local schools. One such challenge was with substitute teachers. Prior to 2017, it was Peg who registered all subs in our area. She alone was responsible for maintaining the on-line sub list provided to schools. This was a monumental task, as Peg took on the challenge of reviewing all transcripts, conducting background checks and applying for permits. It was because of Peg’s efforts that schools did not have to do all these pieces themselves.
During Peg’s 41 years, the wealth of knowledge she accumulated was impressive. Many local administrators would call the superintendent’s office, not to talk with the superintendent, but to ask Peg a question, because they knew if anyone would know the answer, it would be Peg.
Finally, I want to talk about what Peg has done for this organization, the Copper Country Association of School Boards. The CCASB first organized during the 1999- 2000 school year. This organization is made up of school board members from every school district and has many meetings and events during a year. Every year a different school hosts those meetings and events.
Now imagine, every year, there is a new board member and superintendent in charge for the year. Every year, that school’s board member and superintendent say the same thing, thank God, we have Peg. It has been Peg who has coordinated all meetings and events with the host district. This included preparing the agendas and programs, sending out all the notices and reminders, dealing with RSVPs and sign-in sheets, booking rooms and catering for the regular meetings.
Peg also took care of necessary arrangements for our Legislative Luncheons, our New School Board Orientations and of course all that was needed to get everything ready for a night like tonight, our CCASB Awards. Peg made sure the certificates were made and plaques ordered. She even applied for MASB grants that help pay for events like this.
The CCASB owes a great gratitude to Peg for helping this organization provide the quality programs and events it has provided over the last 19 years.
So it is with great pleasure, that on behalf of all our local schools and the Copper Country Association of School Boards, I would like to present Ms. Peggy Myllyoja with our CCASB’s Leadership Award!
