(WUSD press release, Feb. 25) – Lincoln Elementary principal Mary Kilar is among 16 statewide winners of the
Herb Kohl Educational Foundation 2021 Principal Leadership Award. The Herb Kohl Principal
Leadership program is established to recognize and support administrative leadership. The 16
Kohl Leadership Award winners are each recipients of a $6,000 grant from the Herb Kohl
Education Foundation.

Mary Kilar commented that she is honored to be chosen for the award. “But also fully cognizant
that I do not accept this award because of my work alone. Rather, this award represents the
dedication the entire Lincoln School staff and community puts in daily,” said Kilar. “We are a
school that believes in the potential of every student and when a community like this one comes
together for students, great things happen! I am certainly blessed to be chosen, but even more
blessed to be part of something as special as Lincoln School!”

Principal Leadership Award recipients are selected by a statewide committee which consist of
civic leaders, and representatives of education-related associations and the program’s cosponsors: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Council of Religious and
Independent Schools, Wisconsin Cooperative Educational Service Agencies, and Wisconsin
Newspaper Association Foundation.

“Mrs. Mary Kilar has been an innovator for the Whitewater School District since 2014,” said Dr.
Caroline Pate-Hefty, Whitewater Unified School District superintendent. “The outcomes of
Mary’s work as an instructional leader, during a pandemic are perfectly balanced with assuring
that the needs of ALL are met in her school community.”

Award recipients were notified of their awards on Wednesday.

“We are extremely proud of Mary’s accomplishments,” Pate-Hefty added.