Photo courtesy of North Branch Area Public Schools Dr. Deb Henton converses with a member of North Branch Area High School Air Force JROTC.
The MSBA Interview — Dr. Deb Henton New executive director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators discusses her goals, equity, and the school board-superintendent relationship By Bruce Lombard, MSBA Associate Director of Communications and Marketing The Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) announced in January 2020 that North Branch Area Superintendent Dr. Deb Henton would become the association’s next executive director.
Dr. Deb Henton
July 1, 2020, was the start date for Henton — replacing Dr. Gary Amoroso who retired after his nine-year run as MASA’s executive director.
Henton was the 2019-2020 MASA Past President, served for multiple years on the MASA Professional Assistance Team, and led the MASA Legislative Committee — lobbying on behalf of public education at both the state and federal levels. Prior to her 13-year tenure in North Branch Area, Henton served as a junior and senior high school social studies teacher and assistant principal in the South Washington County School District where she was named Woodbury’s 1995 Teacher of the Year. Henton later served as an assistant principal at Stillwater Area High School and principal at St. Paul Harding High School, where she led for five years before being promoted to St. Paul’s Executive Director of Alternative Learning 28
JULY–AUGUST 2020
Programs. While principal of Harding High School, Henton was named the 2004 MASSP Capitol Division Principal of the Year. In 2006, she was appointed the Chief of Staff for St. Paul Public Schools. In the interview below, Henton shared her goals for MASA, her insights on the school board-superintendent relationship, and the current challenges superintendents are facing. MSBA: What was your initial reaction upon hearing the news that you were selected as MASA’s new executive director? DR. DEB HENTON: I thought, “I got the job! I got the job!” I was thrilled and wore a big smile for the next week! I am honored to have been selected for the position of executive director — and excited for the opportunity to serve the members of MASA in a different way than I am familiar. I also remember being grateful that MASA is a wellestablished organization and that I would be following an incredibly successful leader. MSBA: While you will now be working on behalf of all of Minnesota superintendents, what will you miss most about being a superintendent yourself? HENTON: I can only guess at this point, but I have a feeling I am going to miss the connection to all the staff that work
MINNESOTA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION | JOURNAL
