Noreen Bush, superintendent of the Cedar Rapids Community School District, has been named the 2021-22 Iowa Superintendent of the Year by the School Administrators of Iowa.

“This honor is truly a reflection of our committed staff members, families, and community,” said Superintendent Noreen Bush. “I am humbled to accept this award on behalf of our district to represent Iowa’s schools. Thank you to School Administrators of Iowa for the support they provide district leaders and our school districts.”

Noreen Bush has served as the district superintendent since 2019, previously holding the roles of deputy and associate superintendent. Her career began as an English and drama/forensics teacher in Clayton, Mo. A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in English education, Bush also earned her master’s in educational leadership administration and superintendent’s certification from Drake University.

SAI Executive Director Roark Horn said, “Noreen is a leader of leaders and an outstanding choice by her peers as the Iowa Superintendent of the Year. She lives her values—to lead with moral purpose and ignite hope. Every action that she takes is through the lens of what is in the best interests of the entire Cedar Rapids learning community, and to reach her decisions she listens actively to input from all stakeholders. Her passion for learning and her ability to achieve great things while overcoming obstacles is inspiring to us all.”

She was nominated by her peers and selected for the award by a committee of Iowa superintendents. Iowa’s Administrator of the Year award recipients will be honored at SAI’s Annual Conference next summer. She will also represent the state in the National Superintendent of the Year Program® sponsored by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, from which she received the 2021 AASA Women in School Leadership Superintendent Award.

SAI, a statewide organization founded in 1987, represents more than 1,800 Iowa educational administrators. SAI’s mission is to support, encourage and develop Iowa’s educational leaders and learners.