Susan Berry, Health Education and Health Promotion Specialist for the Maine Department of Education (DOE), was recently honored at the All-Member (virtual) Annual Meeting of the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education (the Society) on March 26, 2024, when she was presented the Simon McNeely Award. Individuals named for this award are those who embody the character and work ethic of Simon (Si) August McNeely, who served as the Society’s executive director, secretary and treasurer for 51 years (1947-1998).
Berry is a long-time Maine DOE employee and has always desired to work in an environment that values people, health, and quality of life. She values serving people in a capacity that will have a positive and lasting impact on the health and well-being of the population, improving the quality of life. Some of the highlights in her long career:
- collaborating with school health and physical education teachers to revise and then create supporting resources for the 2022 Maine Learning Results standards for health education and physical education
- helping to develop resources and training for child sexual abuse, including the Children’s Safety Partnership website
- participating in the development and passage of legislation to increase suicide awareness and prevention among all school personnel in Maine public schools
- Leading the Maine Schoolsite Wellness committee in facilitating a dynamic yearly wellness summit
As a specialist in school health education curriculum development, instruction, and assessment, she has over 30 years’ experience in schoolsite health promotion and wellness program planning and implementation.
Susan was humbled and surprised to receive the award as she holds the recipients of this award in the highest regard. She will be presented the McNeely award at the American School Health Association Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, October 16-18, 2024. Colleagues at the Maine DOE are proud of Susan’s achievement and recognition.
“What I appreciate most about Susan is how she navigates change and offers her unending support as ‘supposedly’ new ideas surface when she has already drafted policy language or facilitated a workshop on such an idea,” said Maine DOE Director of Office of School and Student Supports Julie Smyth. “She is the first to lend a helping hand, to be a thought partner, or to share ideas. Susan’s connections to national and statewide resources also speak to her impact. I have come across many respected individuals in the field of education, but the respect accorded to Susan from teachers, administrators, community-based organizations, and leaders is pretty much unrivaled.”
From all of us at the Maine DOE Congratulations, Susan!
More about the Simon McNeely Award:
Si, a Louisiana native, graduated from Tulane University with a master’s in education. He served in the Navy during World War II. In 1947, at 33 years of age, he moved to the Washington DC area to work as an academic researcher for the Office of Education (predecessor of the U.S. Department of Education) where he contributed to research in recreation and physical education. He was the author of six books on physical education and fitness (e.g., Physical Education in the School Child’s Day, 1950). Si McNeely served as the federal-state relations director of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports from 1961 to 1970 and as a member of the U.S. and International Olympic Committees. He was a founder of the U.S. Olympic academies and was a U.S. representative to UNESCO.
This award is given by the Society to state leaders who demonstrate outstanding teaching and service in Health, Physical Education, Recreation or Dance (HPERD), demonstrate innovations HPERD through teaching and service, are a current member of SHAPE or a professional organization pertaining to the field; have presented or actively participated in local, county or regional workshops and conferences in the past three years, are actively involved in school and community affairs and problems related to HPERD, and have a minimum of 5 years professional experience in HPERD field.
For more information about this award reach out to the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education.