Doug Hayter selected to lead School Administrators Association
Dr. Aaron Zalis, President of the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA), announced today that Dr. Doug Hayter has been selected the new Executive Director for the association.
President Zalis stated, “Dr. Hayter is a recognized and respected leader. He possesses the vision, the integrity and the collaborative skills necessary to build capacity in others and move MASA forward as we accomplish the goals outlined in our strategic plan.”
As Executive Director of MASA, Dr. Hayter will head an association of more than 900 school superintendents and central office administrators. Chief among his duties is to carry out the association’s long-range strategic plan, including maintaining a strong membership and financial stability; providing leadership development; and building allies and partnerships to advance public education.
Dr. Hayter said, “It is a privilege and an honor to lead MASA into the future. I am humbled by the appointment and am excited about serving in this role to help lead our organization to the next level.”
President Zalis noted that the process of selecting a new leader was executed in a manner consistent with membership expectations: “Through surveys and personal interaction, our members let the selection committee know what qualities they wanted to see in their executive director. We were pleased to have several high-quality candidates vying for the position and I sincerely believe our interview team and the executive committee represented the membership during this selection process”
Dr. Hayter will follow Roger Kurtz as the Executive Director. Kurtz, who has lead MASA since 2007 and been with the association since 2000, announced his retirement in April. He will officially retire December 31.
Dr. Hayter said, “I have had the unique privilege of working with both previous MASA Executive Directors, Dr. Gary Sharpe and Mr. Roger Kurtz. Both have left their marks on this organization. Most recently, I have seen first hand not only the quality of his leadership, but the ability of Roger Kurtz to take a collaboratively-developed vision and help make it a reality. It is truly an honor to follow him.”
About Doug Hayter:
Dr. Hayter joined the MASA administrative team in January 2016 as the Associate Executive Director of Leadership Development. Prior to his work with MASA, Dr. Hayter served as Superintendent of the Branson School District (2003 – 2015) and as the superintendent of the Logan-Rogersville R-VIII School District (1996 to 2003). Dr. Hayter also served as an Assistant Superintendent at Logan-Rogersville from 1995 to 1996. He was a Principal for grades 7-12 in the Sparta R-III School District from July 1990 to 1995.
Dr. Hayter has his Doctorate in Education from the University of Arkansas and his Specialist and Masters degrees from Southwest Missouri State University. He completed his undergraduate work at the School of the Ozarks and Southwest Missouri State University.
Dr. Hayter is a past president of MASA. He has served on the American Association of School Administrators Governing Board and was Co-Chair of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Proficiency Based Learning Task Force in 2011. He has been a presenter for the MASA Aspiring Superintendents workshop and has presented at the MSBA/MASA Fall Conference and several other professional development settings. In 2008, Dr. Hayter was named the MASA Pearce Award recipient. In 2014, he was finalist for the position of Missouri Commissioner of Education.
Dr. Hayter and his wife, Sonya, currently live in Branson. They are the parents of three children: Cameron and his wife Whitney, (both of whom are nurses) with grandchildren Ryker and Pierce; Corbin, a practicing dentist in Springfield, MO; and daughter Cailynn, a third-year law student at the University of Missouri.
