Outstanding Educator Gayle Renken Named 2017 ELCA Educator of the Year

SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 26, 2017 - PRLog -- Gayle Renken, principal of St. Timothy's Christian Academy in San Jose, California, was selected as the ELCA 2017 Principal of the Year. ELCA schools are served through ELEA, the national membership association of private secondary, elementary and early childhood schools throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran church body in the United States. "Principal Renken was nominated by a colleague, and selected by fellow principals through a national process conducted by the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association", said Gayle Denny, Executive Director of ELEA.

A graduate of Valparaiso University, with a Master of Arts Degree from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, Ms. Renken has served St. Timothy's Lutheran as principal and previously as a leadership team member and teacher since 2001. She has served as principal since 2007.

As Principal of the Year for the ELCA, Gayle Renken's application has also been submitted to the National Association of Elementary School Principals as a candidate for the National Distinguished Principal award. The Private School Selection Committee of NAESP's NDP program will meet in June to determine which candidates within the private school arena are worthy of this award.

Criteria for selection of both the ELCA Principal of the Year Award and the National Distinguished Principal program require that the honorees are active principals of schools where programs are designed to meet the academic and social needs of all students and where there are firmly established community ties with parents and local business organizations.

Daniel Selbo, Pastor of St. Timothy's Lutheran Church, says of Ms. Renken, "Gayle is loved and respected by our teachers and staff. She is a gifted communicator. She skillfully combines strong convictions with a personable approach to all the lives she touches." Regarding changes she has made to the school and its programming, "All of this was accomplished without compromising our foundational commitments."

Gayle Renken will be honored at the February 28-March 2, 2018 ELEA IGNITE National Administrator & Pastor Conference being held at the Hyatt Regency Downtown, Minneapolis, MN. Recipients of the 2017 ELCA Distinguished Pastor of the Year Award, the 2017 ELCA Early Childhood Director of the Year Award, and ELEA's Donald A. Vetter Educational Service Award will also be honored at that event.

For more information about St. Timothy's Christian Academy, please visit www.sttimschristianacademy.org. (http://www.sttimschristianacademy.org)


Since 1988, the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association has served as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's professional educational association and represents about 100 elementary and middle-level principals throughout the nation, along with 1400 early childhood programs. ELEA maintains close ties with the metropolitan Washington DC - based National Association of Elementary School Principals and its 23,000 members worldwide, and is also an active member of CAPE – the Council for American Private Education.