JIM MAHONEY

A long-time educator and entrepreneur, Jim Mahoney has dedicated his life to bettering educational opportunities for all students, serving as a county superintendent, superintendent, principal, and teacher, as well as an adjunct professor at several Ohio universities. In 2001, he joined Battelle for Kids, as the organization’s first executive director.

Under Jim’s 15 years of leadership, Battelle for Kids grew into a national not-for-profit organization that partners with school districts, state departments of education, business, and philanthropic organizations across the globe to advance educational equity and opportunity for all students. This work has impacted more than 6 million students and more than 400,000 educators nationwide.

Jim has made presentations throughout the U.S., Canada, and China on a variety of topics; authored the book, To Lead is to Teach: Stories and Strategies from the Classroom to the Boardroom; co-authored the book, Data-Driven Decisions and School Leadership: Best Practices for School Improvement; and has had articles printed in several state and national publications.

He also has been recognized on numerous occasions for his leadership in education, including being inducted into The Ohio State University’s College of Education and Human Ecology Hall of Fame, receiving the Ohio University Voinovich School Leadership in Public Innovation Award; Ohio Friend of Education Award from the Ohio Federation of Teachers; the President’s Award from the Ohio School Boards Association, an award given annually to an individual who has greatly influence public education; the Ohio Superintendent Outstanding Performance Award from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation; and the Educator of the Year Award from the Ohio Association of Local School Superintendents.