The Council recognizes a Retired Life Member who has shown exemplary commitment to public education after retiring as a superintendent. The Distinguished Service award is our highest honor and is presented annually at our Fall Leadership Summit. Selections are made by our Distinguished Service Committee composed of Council officers and past presidents who are sitting superintendents.
2024 Distinguished Service Award
The
Distinguished Service Award was presented to
Dr. Clark J. Godshall, a Retired Life Member, and former District Superintendent of Orleans-Niagara BOCES on March 2, 2025 at The Council's 2025 Winter Institute & Lobby Day during the Sunday Opening Keynote Session.
Dr. Godshall has been a member of NYSCOSS since 1992 and has served on the Executive Committee, House of Delegates, and Commissioner’s Advisory Council. He also led NYSCOSS as president during the 2008-2009 school year when the economy was marked by the Great Recession. As president, he was instrumental in simplifying business requirements through advocating for online event registration, membership renewal and credit card processing.
In 2014, he was named as our state's Superintendent of the Year where he represented New York on the national stage at AASA. Clark has continued to serve NYSCOSS through his participation on both the Distinguished Service and the Past Presidents’ Committees where he helped to establish the new Past Presidents’ Scholarship.
This award is typically presented at our Fall Leadership Summit but due to scheduling it was presented during the 2025 Winter Institute. A special thanks to
Signature Partner New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal (NYSIR) for sponsoring the 2024 award presentation.
Pictured: Award Sponsor Chuck Chafee, Assistant Executive Director, New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal, NYSIR; NYSCOSS President Lars Clemensen, Hampton Bays UFSD; Retired Life Member Clark Godshall; Distinguished Service Committee Member Lorna Lewis, Malverne; and NYSCOSS Executive Director Chuck Dedrick.
2025 Distinguished Service Award Nomination
If you are interested in nominating an individual for the 2025 award, send your nomination to Deidre Hungerford by June 27, 2025 for inclusion in the selection process. Candidates can be nominated with this
nomination form or with an emailed letter. The Distinguished Service Committee will screen all nominations and will make their final selection of one candidate over the summer.