Longtime Oregon school administrator will succeed Craig Hawkins when he steps down July 1
A former school superintendent with national honors has been named the new executive director of the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators.
Krista Parent will officially fill that top role July 1, COSA’s Board of Directors announced Friday, Feb. 9. She is currently COSA’s deputy executive director; Parent joined the Salem-based organization, which represents more than 2,900 Oregon school leaders, in 2018 as director of executive leadership.
Haley Percell, OSBA’s chief legal officer and interim deputy executive director, said Parent brings extensive experience and a commitment to equity into her new role.
“Krista has long been a voice for lifting student achievement and furthering collaborative leadership between superintendents and school boards,” Percell said. “We look forward to our continued partnership with COSA in creating better opportunities for young people.”
Parent replaces longtime COSA Executive Director Craig Hawkins, who is retiring.
“I am so honored and humbled to be selected as the next executive director of COSA,” Parent said in a written statement. “There are many challenges ahead in education, and the leadership in this state is called upon to tackle these challenges so that all kids can thrive. I am eager to begin working alongside Oregon’s K-12 leaders and partners to face these challenges.”
COSA and OSBA are longstanding partners in advocating for students, including working in 2019 toward passage of the landmark Student Success Act, which is helping direct more than $1 billion in new funding annually for Oregon schools.
Parent has a decades-long career in school leadership, and before joining COSA was superintendent of the South Lane School District. She was named the Oregon and the National Superintendent of the Year in 2007.
Since joining COSA, she has mentored school leaders across the state and helped produce and disseminate a notable 2021 study on barriers to hiring and retaining female superintendents in Oregon. She has helped create and support affinity spaces for education leaders who identify with historically underrepresented populations.
LaShawanta Spears, COSA president, said in a written statement that Parent’s strong education background and commitment to students propelled her candidacy.
“Her passion for empowering others and fostering the work of equity will undoubtedly continue to lead COSA in the right direction,” Spears said.
– Alex Pulaski, OSBA
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