Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed Receives Kay E. Jacobs Memorial Award
News Release
For Immediate Release: February 18, 2026
Contact:
Deb Henton, Ed.D., deb.henton@mnasa.org
Executive Director, MASA
Direct: 651-439-7719
Medford, MN - The Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) has named Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed, Superintendent of Hopkins Public Schools, as the recipient of the 2026 Kay E. Jacobs Memorial Award. The award is presented annually to a female administrator who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, a strong commitment to students, and active involvement in MASA. Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed will be honored during the 2026 MASA Spring Conference, held March 19-20, 2026, at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest. This award is proudly sponsored PTMA Financial Solutions.
“Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed exemplifies the leadership values honored by the Kay E. Jacobs Memorial Award,” said Dr. Deb Henton, MASA Executive Director. “Her commitment to mentorship, system-level thinking, and student-centered decision-making has had a lasting impact on her district and on colleagues across Minnesota. She leads with integrity, clarity, and a deep sense of service to her students, staff, and community.”
Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed has served as Superintendent of Hopkins Public Schools for nine years, leading a large, diverse district through periods of positive change, growth and even disruption. Her leadership is grounded in coherence, belonging, and consistency, ensuring that strategy, instruction, operations, and culture are aligned to best meet the needs of students and staff. Under her leadership, Hopkins Public Schools launched its Vision 2031 strategic plan, advanced a rigorous and inclusive instructional framework, expanded immersion and innovative programming, and successfully passed two major bond referendums that strengthened school safety and facilities.
A defining aspect of Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed’s leadership is her deep commitment to mentorship and leadership development. She has intentionally invested in developing principals, district leaders, aspiring superintendents and sitting superintendents through coaching, modeling, and shared problem-solving. By fostering environments where leaders can reflect honestly, learn from challenges, and grow professionally, she has helped cultivate a strong pipeline of educational leaders within and beyond her district.
Beyond her district, Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed has been actively engaged in MASA and statewide leadership efforts. She served on the AMSD Executive/Legislative Committee, as Region 9 Superintendent Representative to the MASA Board of Directors, and currently as a Coach for the MASA Aspiring Superintendents Academy, supporting colleagues as they navigate the intricacies of district leadership. She is recognized for leading with calm, courage, and care – particularly during challenging and politically complex times – while maintaining an unwavering focus on students.
Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed’s commitment to service extends into the broader community through additional board service (Black Men Teach, Education Evolving, St. David’s, and VocalEssence) and partnerships that strengthen relationships between schools, families, and civic organizations. She believes strong school districts are built on a shared commitment for all students to reach success, transparent communication, and creating future-forward, resilient schools and school leaders.
Prior to the superintendency, Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed held senior leadership roles in several large school districts across the country. She served as Associate Superintendent for Monterey Peninsula Unified School District in California, where she supported district turnaround efforts, strengthened instructional infrastructure, and built leadership capacity in schools serving low-income student populations. She also served as Director of Leadership Development for District of Columbia Public Schools, where she designed and led principal preparation and leadership development for principals of 100+ schools.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed served as Principal of Champlin Park High School in Anoka- Hennepin Schools and Assistant Principal at Kennedy High School in Bloomington Public Schools. She began her administrative career in Saint Paul Public Schools, serving as a teacher and administrative intern at Highland Park Junior High. Across these various roles, Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed’s work has focused on listening to students, building equity-driven structures and systems, and developing effective teachers and school leaders as key levers toward academic excellence.
Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed holds a doctorate in leadership from Harvard University, a master’s degree in education policy and administration from the University of Minnesota, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Yale University.
The Kay E. Jacobs Memorial Award was established in 1983 in honor of Kay E. Jacobs, an outstanding young administrator of many achievements who died in a car accident in 1979. At the time of her death, Ms. Jacobs was the assistant superintendent for the Mahtomedi Schools and had been selected through a national screening process to participate in the Superintendents’ Work Conference at Teachers College, Columbia University. The award recognizes women administrators who exemplify leadership, service, and professional involvement early in their careers, as Kay Jacobs did.
Each year, MASA recognizes members for their contributions to public education. MASA is a professional organization of Minnesota’s school leaders, including superintendents, assistant superintendents, directors of special education, and other central office administrators, as well as state department administrators, college and university faculty, and other educators dedicated to educational leadership for students across Minnesota.
###