Ulster BOCES District Superintendent Charles V. Khoury, Ed.D. has been honored by the Mid-Hudson School Study Council (MHSSC) for his exceptional leadership during the pandemic.

Among those recommending Dr. Khoury for the Study Council’s 2021 Educational Leadership Award was Ulster County Executive Patrick K. Ryan, who noted that COVID-19 has created many challenges for local educators, students, and families.

In his nominating letter, Mr. Ryan wrote, “Dr. Khoury has tirelessly advocated on behalf of his component districts and worked in partnership with Ulster County to deliver vital goods such as PPE [personal protective equipment] and rapid tests to each of the nine districts in Ulster County.” Dr. Khoury also worked closely with the County to prioritize the vaccination of teachers and school staff interested in receiving the vaccine, he added.

In recommending Dr. Khoury for the award, Ulster BOCES Board President Christopher Farrell noted that “Over the last year, everything we knew about schools and our way of being was disrupted.” He praised Dr. Khoury for laying a strong foundation based on creativity, innovation, safety, and excellence during his more than nine years at Ulster BOCES.

“As we move forward through the stages of this global pandemic,” Mr. Farrell wrote, “Dr. Khoury continues to lead with compassion and care, while pushing the conversation forward about how we might leverage the learning of the last year to bring forward what we hold as sacred and let go of the barriers, structures, and archaic routines that prevent progress, change, and the re-imagining of our schools on behalf of equity and learning for all.”

Kerri Sheehy, President of the Ulster BOCES Teachers’ Organization, praised Dr. Khoury’s compassion towards employees facing challenging situations, as well as his compassionate leadership in crafting plans for remote and in-person schooling. “Central to the plans was concern for the mental and physical health of both students and staff,” she wrote.

Also lending his support for the nomination was Wallkill Superintendent of Schools Kevin Castle, who said that “Dr. Khoury has done an incredible job leading the way, resulting in school districts finding success during a very challenging time in education.”

In her letter to Dr. Khoury announcing the award, MHSSC Executive Director Roberta Greene wrote, “On behalf of the Mid-Hudson School Study Council, we offer congratulations as well as thanks for your leadership, dedication, and service to the students of the Hudson Valley.”

While Dr. Khoury says he is honored to receive the leadership award, he stresses that any accolades should be shared with teachers, administrators, and staff members across Ulster County.

“I am in awe of how local educators have stepped up during these unprecedented times,” Dr. Khoury said. “They have overcome countless obstacles, embraced new skills, integrated those skills into their daily practices, and worked tirelessly on behalf of students. I am proud to play a supportive role in their efforts, which have truly been herculean.”

The MHSSC, located at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, brings together the resources of higher education and the school districts in the Mid-Hudson Region. Its goal is to bring about the improvement of education in the school districts located in the Mid-Hudson Valley through the cooperative study of common educational problems, the effective diffusion of educational practices, and the stimulation of active participation of school boards, administrators, teachers, pupils, and laypersons in educational planning and activity.

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