Tymensen honoured with Excellence in School System Leadership Award

By Horizon School Division

Dr. Wilco Tymensen, superintendent of Horizon School Division, received the provincial EXL Award for Excellence in School System Leadership at the Annual General Meeting of the College of Alberta School Superintendents (CASS).

Held March 21 and ointly sponsored by Xerox Canada Ltd. and the Canadian Association of School System Administrators (CASSA), the award is granted to outstanding school system leaders who exhibit exemplary leadership ability and have enhanced the profession of school system administration over the course of their careers. 

As the Alberta recipient of the EXL Award, Tymensen will be the CASS nominee for the national EXL Award as Canadian Superintendent of the Year, to be announced at the CASSA Conference which will be held in Montreal, Que. from July 3-5. Consideration for the EXL award is given to those system education leaders who: 

• guide children’s educational experiences, 

• establish the character of a school system’s programs through the important work with school boards, school leaders, teachers, and parents, 

• shape children’s attitudes towards learning and their perceptions of themselves as lifelong learners, and 

• model effective leadership and mentoring. 

As Superintendent of Schools within the Horizon School Division for the last 11 years, Tymensen has demonstrated a steadfast dedication to the students in his school authority and throughout the province through dedicated service within and outside his jurisdiction. Recognized as a mentor for others within the teaching profession, he has honed his strong academic and experiential background as a system education leader to support others relying upon educational supports. 

Board Chair Marie Logan noted, “Wilco is often approached by colleagues across the province for his opinion and insight into areas such as curriculum, assessment, policy, personnel management, and leadership.” 

This observation is well substantiated by the fact that Tymensen has authored 19 referred and non-referred publications for public and professional information, engaged in as many addresses to educational partners, and presented at Lethbridge College, Gonzaga University, and taught at the University of Lethbridge. 

Tymensen’s service to education has been hallmarked by serving on the CASS Provincial Executive from 2011 – 2014 and on the CASS Board of Directors from 2019 – 2024 which included service as CASS President in 2021 – 2022. 

Tymensen’s impact on education within his school authority and southern Alberta is significant. Not only has his leadership within Horizon School Division contributed to a legacy of strong accountability pillar results and provincial jurisdiction awards, but he has also impacted the efforts of other interest groups who advocate for student needs. To this end, Tymensen has been appreciated for his contributions to the APEX Youth Awards – an initiative that celebrates and promotes inclusive, positive practices by youth and their contributions to their communities, interjurisdictional wellness work with the EdCan Network, and the Taber Community Action and Prevention Society (TCAPS). Through his efforts, Tymensen has been noted as being involved with coalescing the work of local police, Family and Community Support Services, Child and Family Services, Taber Adult Learning, and Lethbridge College, as well as multi-jurisdictional partnerships to bring the community together to support the best interests of students, families, and community. 

CASS congratulates Tymensen for his extensive efforts to enhance in the public’s interest, the quality of system education leadership in our province. 

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