Dr. Chace B. Anderson to Receive MASA Polaris Leadership Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 18, 2026

Contact:
Deb Henton, Ed.D., deb.henton@mnasa.org
Executive Director
(651) 439-7719

(Medford, MN) – The Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) has named Dr. Chace B. Anderson, Superintendent of Wayzata Public Schools, as the recipient of the 2026 MASA Polaris Leadership Award. Dr. Anderson will be honored for his exemplary school leadership and distinguished service to Minnesota’s students, staff, and communities during the MASA Fall Conference, September 28-29, 2026. He will retire on June 30, 2026, concluding a career of more than four decades in public education marked by steady and principled leadership.

The Polaris Leadership Award is named for the North Star because, just as Polaris remains constant in the sky, exemplary administrators serve as steadfast guides for students, staff, and communities. Recipients are recognized for professional courage, fostering innovation, mentoring, integrity, and a legacy of leadership that supports district vision and fosters positive, lasting change.

“Dr. Anderson is a steady voice for education whose passion for serving students is constant and inspiring,” said Dr. Deb Henton, MASA Executive Director. “Throughout his tenure, he has navigated significant growth with grace and a focus on excellence, leaving a lasting impact on his district and his colleagues across the state.”

Dr. Anderson has served as Superintendent of Wayzata Public Schools since 2008. During his tenure, the district has grown from approximately 9,500 to more than 13,000 students while sustaining a strong reputation for academic excellence. He has led significant facility expansions and strengthened programming to meet the evolving needs of a rapidly growing community.

His leadership has included the successful construction of two new elementary schools and a new Early Learning School, significant additions and renovations across the district, and long-range strategic planning to ensure fiscal stability. Under his stewardship, Wayzata Public Schools has maintained its Triple A bond rating while navigating enrollment growth, operating levy renewals, and major capital projects.

Throughout his career, Dr. Anderson has approached leadership as a calling rooted in service and responsibility to others. He has consistently emphasized collaboration, integrity, and optimism, modeling a deep commitment to public education and to the students and families he serves. Colleagues describe him as a steady and thoughtful leader who remains hopeful and focused on what is best for students.

Prior to serving in Wayzata, Dr. Anderson held leadership roles in Edina Public Schools, including assistant superintendent, high school principal, and middle school principal. His earlier experiences included assistant junior high school principal with the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Public Schools, administrator for the Rochester Montessori School, and he began his career with the Bellevue Public Schools (NE) as a junior and senior high school science teacher, football and track coach, and junior high school dean of students and athletic director.   His experience spans instructional leadership, finance, operations, facilities, and human resources, reflecting a comprehensive and student-centered approach to district leadership.

Dr. Anderson holds a doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Minnesota, a master’s degree in secondary school administration from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and a bachelor’s degree in biology education from the University of Northern Iowa.

MASA is grateful to Ehlers, Inc., for its ongoing support of the Polaris Leadership Award.

MASA is a professional organization of Minnesota’s school leaders. Its membership includes superintendents, assistant superintendents, directors of special education and other central office administrators, as well as state department administrators, college and university professors and other educators dedicated to providing educational leadership for Minnesota students.

###