Geneseo Central School District senior Board of Education member Craig Phelps is the recipient of a prestigious regional award.
Phelps won the 2023 Al Hawk Award. Since 2003, the award has recognized a board member in the Genesee Valley BOCES region for outstanding contributions to public education and children in their community.
Phelps was honored at the annual Al Hawk dinner at Terry Hills Golf Club in Batavia on Nov. 1. More than 50 local school board members attended the event.
"Craig Phelps has served the Geneseo district tirelessly for more than a decade,” GCS Board President Mike Tenalio said. “His contributions on the district finance committee helped guide GCSD with a sense of stability during some challenging financial years. Craig’s viewpoints on all matters are always centered on a rational evaluation of fact. I value his experience and guidance immensely."
Elected to the board in 2011, Phelps continues to emphasize strengthening educational opportunities for Geneseo students. As a GCS graduate, Phelps noted his appreciation of the district’s success in exposing students to college and vocational education opportunities during and after their time in school.
“Craig generously devotes his time to the board with the primary goal of ensuring the provision of top-tier educational experiences for all students,” Superintendent Cindy Flowers said. “We are grateful for his exemplary service.”
Phelps is part of a family full of Blue Devils alumni: his mother, grandmother and four children. During the ceremony, he honored them and shared that his two grandchildren will soon join the district.
The award is named in honor of the late Al Hawk, who served as the president of the Dansville Board of Education and New York State School Boards Association. Hawk, who was the first recipient of the award, was known for pushing to improve educational opportunities for all students.