Vestavia Hills superintendent receives state awards for communication

VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. (VHCS) -- Vestavia Hills City Schools Superintendent Sheila Phillips, Ed.D., received two state-level awards on Friday, March 4 for leadership in communication.

The Alabama School Public Relations Association (ALSPRA) named Phillips the 2016 recipient of its Outstanding Leadership in School/Community Relations Award. The award recognizes an individual "who has proven himself or herself to be a leader in using effective school/community relations to build support for public education in his or her community," according to a release from ALSPRA.

Phillips also received the ALSPRA Excellence in Communication Award for remarks she delivered to the Vestavia Hills Board of Education on July 15, 2015. Several media outlets later published her 1,600-word speech as an editorial.

Phillips received the awards Friday during ALSPRA's annual communication awards luncheon. She was chosen for the awards by a committee of judges at the Alabama State Department of Education, according to ALSPRA secretary Malissa Valdes-Hubert.  

"I'm humbled to accept these awards on behalf of Vestavia Hills City Schools," Phillips said Friday. "It is truly an honor earned only because of a tremendous team effort to communicate effectively with our entire community."

"We are very proud of Sheila for winning these awards," said Vestavia Hills Board of Education Vice President Mark Hogewood, who attended the awards presentation. "This recognition from the Alabama School Public Relations Association speaks highly of Sheila and our system."

-Submitted by Whit McGhee