Dr. Kewanis Kennedy, a Trigg County High School graduate, has been named the Department of Defense Education Activity 2026 Principal of the Year. Kennedy is the principal at Marshall Elementary School at Fort Campbell.
According to the DoDEA, Marshall Elementary has achieved remarkable academic growth under Dr. Kennedy’s leadership, exceeding its math SMART Goal by 24 percent in fifth grade and posting similar gains in third grade.
They also cited Kennedy for creating a clear, shared vision that drives measurable student success and for building strong school-community partnerships through open communication, family engagement events, and an open-door policy for parents and sponsors.
Dr. Kennedy was also lauded for mentoring teachers and aspiring leaders through systems such as “Friday Feedback” and systematic professional learning, elevating staff capacity and morale.
In being nominated for the award, it was also noted that Dr. Kennedy fosters a positive school climate through restorative practices, weekly team meetings, and rapid-response crisis support, while aligning all curriculum, instruction, and assessment with DoDEA, the district, and school improvement plans.
Dr. Kennedy earned the highest distinction in a competitive, system-wide selection process, receiving 39 out of 40 points on the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders evaluation and unanimous praise from nominators across the Americas region and DoDEA headquarters.
Dr. Judith Minor, the DoDEA Americas Director for Student Excellence, called Dr. Kennedy “the very best of DoDEA leadership.”
