Today, the Journalism Education Association (JEA) selected Harker upper school division head Samuel “Butch” Keller as its Administrator of the Year. This honor is presented annually to school administrators who demonstrate outstanding support of school journalism programs.

Keller was nominated for the award by Harker journalism teacher Ellen Austin, who told the JEA that Keller was the first administrator she felt was worthy of nominating in her 16 years as a school journalism adviser.

“With him in the principal’s chair, my students have produced stories about sex trafficking, presidential elections, feminism, sexism in tech sectors and in math classes, LGBTQ issues and equity, and more,” Austin told JEA. “Butch has not balked at nor tried to suppress any of these stories. If anything, he has just encouraged my students (and me) to ensure that our work is careful and accurate.”

The JEA and National Scholastic Press Association will honor Keller at their Fall National High School Journalism Convention, to be held Nov. 12 in Indianapolis.